It has snowed in Florida… once in my lifetime. I remember the wide-eyed glee looking out our window and seeing this strange precipitation that I’d only heard about before. It was 1989 and I had an ice fight with my dad in the front yard since none of the snow stuck. I’m pretty sure we thew more…
All posts by Kelly
About Kelly
Calculus
Asymptote. Logarithm. Derivative. I have not seriously interacted with such words in over a decade. And yet here I sit, in my brother’s undergraduate Calculus class, listening to a lecture filled with mathematical jargon. I watch as the professor — displaying an infinity necklace and a love of numbers — goes over the quiz, engages with questions,…
Mood Swings
I am surrounded by children. I joke that I have 81 babies, but they stay at the hospital so I sleep through the night. And I’ve noticed that babies and children have an uncanny ability to change moods quickly. They can cry and smile within a few seconds. They can fight and be angry, throw…
Accepting Help
I can help edit a book. Work on a project. Paint a house. Clean a road. Or do endless therapy for children in need. But I can’t accept a ride to the airport. I much prefer being the helper than the helpee. I have a pathological need to be independent and do it all myself.…
Chaos
Life is messy. I try to pretend that it’s not, but that is futile. People are messy. Entropy happens. Chaos surrounds me. I tend to deal with the messiness of life by cleaning and organizing what I can, even if they’re unrelated. You can tell when work is especially hectic, because my bathroom is spotless.…
Ordeals and Adventures
Airports. I have a love hate relationship with them. I enjoy the excited bustle and people watching. And I dislike the delays and feeling of being out of control. Which is where I am now. Delayed. Waiting on a mechanic. Surrounded by griping fellow flyers. Unable to board the plane. I have missed my fair…
The “Gift” of Singleness
Singleness: The dreaded gift. People joke all the time, “If singleness is a gift, what’s the return policy?” I’ve thought about this for fifteen years. One summer I read the entire single living section of the Christian bookstore where I worked. I’ve heard authors for years tell me that singleness could be a blessing. But…
Beginnings
Happy New Year! Yes, I realize that it is September. Even though I’ve been out of school for quite some time, the fall still feels like a new beginning to me. My brain still functions on a semester schedule, even though my schedule doesn’t look much different in June versus October. I’ve been trained through years…
Silence
“No news is good news,” as the old adage says. But is that always true? I’m not so sure. As our Internet connections have become constant companions in our pockets, the adage carries far less weight. Myriads of articles have been written about the ploy of social media. We present our best image in these…
Stillness and Massage
I struggle with stillness. I love productivity and efficiency. I think these things define a good day. I love checking thing off of my list. But I’ve been slowly changing my definition of a good day. I thought about this today as I got a massage. It is a treat that I budget for and…