As moms (and dads), don't we all want a "good life" for our kids? I believe most parents have their children's best interests in mind. I also believe that it is easy to get tripped up and focus on achievements that the world tells us will lead to a happy, "successful" life. It can be... Continue Reading →
The Boy in Blue, Part 2
"Suits. Blue Suits." It's something we say in our family that makes us chuckle because of a misunderstanding from a few years back that isn't worth explaining any further. But it's funny to us, and I can't seem to bring myself to edit it out now that I've typed it. Just over a week ago,... Continue Reading →
Older and Wiser – On being happily married.
My wedding album made me cry today. Rob is speaking this weekend on marriage and needed a wedding photo of us. He retrieved the book from the attic and chose this photograph from our engagement shoot. Wow, would you just look at those fresh young faces! And Rob's hair! And my Laura Ashley sweater! (I... Continue Reading →
Hang in There (Another Life Lesson from the Garden)
I'm no farmer. I'm not even smart enough in the area of growing plants to be called a "gardener." The most that can be said about me in this arena is that I have bought plants to put in the ground and have only killed some of them. While parenting feels natural and intuitive to... Continue Reading →
Happy Nest
It has been 3 months since we dropped our youngest off at college and entered the phase of the "Empty Nest." While I'm currently counting down to having both Elizabeth and Nick home for Thanksgiving (only 9 days!), I can't help but reflect on how well things are going. To this point, most of my... Continue Reading →
Puzzle Pieces
My edges hurt a little. This is my word picture for how I feel when I am together with people I love... and then not. This weekend was Fall Break and Elizabeth and Nick were home for a few days. All of us together in the nest! It was dreamy. I love how quickly we... Continue Reading →
Quite a Week
It is Sunday afternoon - a week ago, I wrote this: We have less than a week left before our youngest heads off to college. Nick has six more nights at home before he moves into his dorm room at UNC-Wilmington. Six. That's it. I decided at the beginning of his Senior year to cherish... Continue Reading →
Sea Level
There is something about being at sea level that feels exactly right to me. I don't know how to describe it other than my heart feels most peaceful at that place where sand and sea meet - as though gravity has brought me "home." Fully settled. Fully present. There are other times when I have... Continue Reading →
The Boy in Blue
Years ago, before I was married, maybe even while I was still in high school, I looked out my living room window and saw a boy in a royal blue winter jacket. He was walking down the street with his back toward me, but I could tell he was young - probably five years old,... Continue Reading →
The Spin: A Bigger Roof
It has been 4 weeks since we helped Elizabeth move in to her dorm room. I couldn't write about it until now...and now I have so much to say that I feel almost paralyzed. Where to start? If I try to tell it all, in proper order, it will be a garbled mess. There have... Continue Reading →
Kim Perry Writes 