A hundred years ago, the term teenager wasn’t used—at least not in everyday circles. Instead, people were either children or adults, usually distinguished by marriage and/or “leaving the farm”. With the Industrial Revolution and mandatory high-school attendance, the gap years between 12 and 20 became something more significant. Now, teens could choose to go work […]
Author: kristinlhanley
Doing Nothing
I’m reading though a book, taking notes and prepping for a possible creative-writing course for the next school year. My daughter, fixing and fiddling in the kitchen, asks her brother a question, “What’s Dad doing?” “Oh, nothing,” is his response. He returns to his drawing. “Nothing?” she asks.“Well, he’s playing chess online,” he clarifies. And […]
Monday Mess-Ups Made Acceptable
Monday felt like Monday today. I tried to avoid it; I even gave myself a pep talk before getting out of bed. “It will be okay. You have so much to be thankful for. Choose joy.” Before breakfast, the third sibling tells me what the first one did and how angry they are over the […]
Deborah, Abigail, Esther, Xena, and Other Warrior Princesses, This is for You
My parents raised a good, Christian girl–a homeschooled, preacher’s kid for the first 16 years of my life (I found a lot of identity in that label). I understood the Mary and Martha illustration better than most and knew that a pure life was the highest calling. On the flip side, I was naive, easily […]
When the Miraculous Happens
[ I had every intention this afternoon of writing down my thoughts on strong women (Capitalizing on the quintessential WOMAN of God vs. the broken stereotypes that seem out of place… and where the heck people like Judge and Prophetess Deborah even fit into the modern church equation); I’ll get there eventually. ] But God […]
This Moment
Yesterday, my middle child came downstairs while I was fixing supper and wandered around. Knowing his love language is physical touch and he needed some attention, I asked if he wanted to snuggle. Exhausted from the day, I dropped to the couch, and he plopped on top of me. At 11, he’d probably be mortified […]
Straight to the Heart
This morning, as most mornings go, I was in my room reading my Bible and my youngest came in, complaining about his brother’s selfishness and how he wouldn’t return something that belonged to him. He then proceeded to tell me that his brother threw the piece at him and that made him so mad that […]
Grabbing the Unraveled Threads
Haven’t written much lately. Haven’t much felt like it. Can you relate to the mood? December brought Covid, cancelled holidays, nearly a month of quarantining and an ER and hospital stay. As soon as that “was over”, I had to jump back into work, teaching, co-op, and the kids’ schedule. I don’t think my spirit […]
I Should Have Seen It Coming…
Before Christmas, I started watching a film called 12 Dates of Christmas (imagine if Groundhog Day hooked up with Hallmark and you’d have a clear picture). Ironically, I didn’t finish it for several days. By then, our days started to look like mirror cousins. Aside from an emergency trip to the hospital involving a two-day […]
What’s with all the Blood?
When I was a kid, sometimes I’d enter the bathroom I shared with my brother, and blood would confront me. Red splattered the sink, blood-soaked tissues littered the trashcan, and all evidence pointed to some bad juju. Of course, nothing sinister had transpired; my poor brother suffered severe nosebleeds as a kid, but the sight […]