Reflections

Like Children Who Build Their Home Among the Graves

by Shawn April 6, 2012
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I sat at the back of the bus on Friday, Good Friday, and my eyes swam in tears as I soaked up the photos of a memorial service for my dear friends’ baby: a willow tree, pink balloons scattered in a blue sky, and a small white box that fit comfortably in one hand. I [...]

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The Call You Never Want to Get

by Shawn March 28, 2012
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Two or three weeks ago, I called my mom. Maile, the kids, the bus, and I were somewhere in Florida. Maybe Jacksonville. I can’t remember exactly. Within a few seconds of my mom answering, I knew something was wrong. “Shawn, I have some not-so-good news,” she said in a quavery voice reserved for funerals and [...]

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The Man Who Kept the World at Bay

by Shawn March 23, 2012
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The small boy (me) stretches out on a worn sofa next to the man (my dad). He is watching television. The man wraps his arm around the skinny boy, protecting him from the world. In response, the boy asks the man a lot of questions, drowning out the evening news, but the man never shushes [...]

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Mama For a Moment

by Shawn March 22, 2012
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Today’s guest post (minus the lengthy intro) comes to you from the always transparent Tamara Out Loud. Maile and I had the privilege of meeting her and her family a few weeks ago while traveling through Gainesville, Florida, and she’s just as kind and fun in person as she is in her writing. If you’ve [...]

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When a Woman Isn’t Allowed to Run the Race

by Shawn March 21, 2012
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My friend (and blog designer extraordinaire) Jason McCarty posted this picture on his Facebook page a few days ago, and something about it caught my attention. What’s up with the dude in the suit accosting that innocent woman trying to run a race? I had to read the caption. It turns out Kathrine Switzer became [...]

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The Best Way to Become a Bitter, Angry Person

by Shawn March 17, 2012
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I’ve been thinking a lot about flexibility. Emotional and mental flexibility. The ability to bend under varying pressures without tearing any fibers. Then, like an unexpected flash of lightning on a clear night, I read this by Henri Nouwen (whose spirit has obviously been peeking through the windows of our bus, or the thickly veiled [...]

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One of Life’s Great Deceptions

by Shawn March 12, 2012
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“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” John Steinbeck * * * * * We all struggle to maintain some sense of control over our lives. Some of us attempt this by orchestrating the behavior and activities of our children. Some of us are unhealthy [...]

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