Today is Ash Wednesday, and this day is one thing I miss. Eastern Orthodox Lent begins with a tradition called Forgiveness Vespers, when all the parishioners gather in a circle and ask for and receive forgiveness from each other. It is a beautiful ceremony that always causes me to shed a few tears. This coming …
I went to a funeral yesterday. My great uncle passed away. Three different people spoke at the funeral, including another great uncle. And they all told stories about Uncle Billy. We laughed a lot there, all boxed up in a stuffy funeral home and surrounded by funeral flowers. He wasn’t rich or famous; he was …
Today is Epiphany, which is when the church celebrates the coming of the wise men, and the Orthodox church also celebrates the baptism of Christ. Other than Pascha, Epiphany is my favorite feast. The church is decorated with vases of water with white floating candles. The priest prays the great blessing over the waters and …
I apologize that this post is a little longer than usual. I wanted to give you a look into how I write a poem. Note: This poem was relatively easy to write. There are plenty of poems I spend more time on and work harder on. But you do get a little glimpse into my …
Last January I chose the word GROW as my guiding word for the year. I never new how painful – and beautiful – growing can be. In many ways, this year was a year of failure. Time and time again, I felt like a failure at my job, at home, and as a writer. I am …
