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Some years in and two kids later, around 2012, our marriage was at best neutral.  I am grateful to have had the opportunity to stay home with our children, despite this not really being financially feasible. I was exhausted at the end of each day- waking with them, entertaining them, feeding them, exercising them, more feeding, wrestling with the possibility of a nap, all the peeing and pooping, more feeding, more entertainment.**  I knew all the while, I am doing the most c

I learned from you to be in the service of others, particularly family.  I learned from you to serve what you value most high, without...

The wedding formalities were never for me. I did not even pick the bridesmaids dresses or color of my wedding, and as I have said, I...

I married young.  I wanted to say “That story is for a different time,” but that time is now.  When people have asked me about the secret to being married so long, now 19 years, I always hesitate, but the truth is I renewed, repaired, saved my relationship more than once, but my saving grace has always been to be of service- with one phrase- “Can I get you anything?” The marriage story- I was 21 years old, as was my soon to be husband.  I had a positive pregnancy test, and co

Growing up I knew I had some quarks: numbers I liked, on my alarm clock, and stereo volume; chewing two items of the same snack food at a time so they would not be lonely in my stomach; compulsive truth telling so I would not go to Hell, and other religious rituals to protect me from dying in my sleep, and my family from harm; rituals before karate tournaments, which include a hearty breakfast of Coca-Cola, and beef jerky, wearing of thong underwear, because it was going up m

A Good Shunning My family has naturally, practically, and stubbornly practiced the art of shunning.  In a cultural diversity class, I explored my own Scandanavian culture, and likely this is where shunning started, with my ancestors. I read that because winters are long and dark, when in conflict with another member of your household, it was likely more beneficial to resolve arguments passively, or practice silence. I was really good at shunning, until I revealed the art of

The Beatles said, “Love is All You Need.”  I have fought this for a long time, I think because I have understood the concept of love poorly, because the feeling of love, the desire felt when we are in ‘love’ can be easy, and fleeting, but is not always sustained as easily.  The misconception is not that love is all you need, it is, but that love takes a lot of work.  Not because it is hard to love people and things for a time, but because it is hard to live a life daily based

April 30 th  2024 I was baptized by my father, a true believer.  Many things I like to choose and control, but I find what is out of my control becomes the most interesting parts of my existence.  The date that my parents were to visit, was of convenience, and the day that worked best for my baptism, also of convenience, happened to be between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  As a true fan of symbolism, I could not have chosen it better. My Testimony was as follows: I have wat

I do not know what Good Beet is yet. I had originally hoped that Good Beet would be a sort of “Pay it Forward” social media site, where...