• The Myth of the Highest Calling

    When I was trudging through my first pregnancy, what caught me off guard wasn’t all the strange physical changes that overtook my body or the people who felt the liberty to bowl through my carefully constructed arm’s length bubble of comfort to make friendly with their hands on my belly. What caught me off guard was the way my self-perception so drastically changed. The week before I got the double pink line on the pee stick, I’d walked across the…

  • Post PPD, Church, and the Struggle to Believe

    My feelings towards my church of 10+ years are ambiguous at best. Where I’ve landed today is with gratitude for and love of my immediate community of believers, those I’ve held close and who have done the same with me, yet disengagement with and distrust of my church. I won’t say exactly what events have led to this place, but I know the ache in my heart I feel over those on the fringe – those whose marriage status, gender,…

  • Well, It Sounded Like a Good Idea

    Hi. I’m back. So if you’ve been following my journey through Postpartum Depression, either through my random texts or emails to you or through occasional Twitter posts, you know that it’s an ongoing process. I don’t know when PPD is technically over and the woman is just left dealing with crazy. However, over the past month I felt I’d arrived and last week decided to go off medication. I was already on a fairly low dose, so I figured tapering…

  • (Don't judge me)

    Oh for the love of deep thoughts, where have mine gone!? I think I’ve been struck by a bit of internet shyness. That’s not to say I haven’t written out a post here or there processing PPD and my sorting through thoughts on ending treatment. I just haven’t hit “PUBLISH POST”. Do you know what that tells me? I’m at a cross roads and I’m not sure what I think of my own inclinations. I don’t want to set myself…

  • Postpartum Depression Check-in

    In a mere six months I’ve gone from being a self-proclaimed hermit to having a burgeoning social life, thanks to treatment for postpartum depression and this new community group through my church. In some ways, I’m not sure I recognize myself, except during the moments after an intense gathering (like last night’s Super Bowl party) where I wonder if it just might come crashing down around me. Everything seems to be escalating right now – Wookie’s mobility, Scooby’s energy level,…

  • A Seat at the Table

    This morning, our good friend Thom preached on being the adopted and sons and daughters of God. The part of his talk that really grabbed me was his discussion on how we write ourselves off as undeserving, unwanted or less than at His table. Several weeks back, I was dining at Magiano’s with a group of women to celebrate my friend’s birthday. There were sixteen of us laughing and talking as if we were the oldest of friends, and amazingly…