I believe that the world is a playground and life is one big adventure. I believe in spontaneously dancing, the healing power of a good cry and the wisdom of my grandma. I believe in Ben and Jerry's, star gazing on the dock and coffee with good conversation. I believe that children are the most hilarious people on the planet, consistently filling it with joy. I believe in filling my passport with stamps. I believe in cuddling, Patty Dole's freezer cookies and snail mail. I believe that when we choose not to help the poor and the needy, that we actually rob them. I believe we have a God who can create beauty from the messes we make of our world.
Author: taylorvanderwell
White Genealogy, Black Genealogy
The image in the header is an Ellis Island passenger record. On lines 55-60 are the names of my ancestors who immigrated to the United States from Glasgow, Scotland on November 10, 1884. I found this a few months ago …
Two
Happy birthday to my sweet Milo, who has always been, and continues to be, a terrible sleeper. This morning, before the dawn of his 2nd birthday, he came and woke me up at 4:30 a.m. by shouting “Mommy! Orange.” and …
Saying Yes to the Mess: a letter to my son
You have been around for seven months and this is the first time I am getting around to writing in your baby book because, well, new beginnings are hard. Filling out this baby book is particularly hard because it wants …
Hello, Again
The last time I wrote was in July. Jeeeez. Although, not writing since July was a very intentional decision. A surprise pregnancy with my ex-husband who was working half way across the world at the time was too big and …
And then there was Nell
Nell, I will never forget October 17, 2016. This is because I was sitting around a big dining room table with your mama and friends when your existence was announced (well, it was more directly inquired about…and then revealed, despite …
Heartache to Heartache
I feel an urgency right now to redefine and reexamine everything. Perhaps this is because I’m watching nations all over the world divide themselves so extremely. If what is good for you is not good for me, is it possible …
Thanksgiving
I started a tradition with myself where I ring in the new year with a word. Maybe it sounds weird, but every year it feels more like the word chooses me than I choose it. And during the 365 days which …
7 Things Sunday
One. I get to take a road trip to Austin, Texas this week (if you have any Austin suggestions for grub to eat or sights to see, tell me!) with my friend Ryan to be his second shooter for a …
Sad Sex Robots
Note: This can be a touchy subject. The very last thing I want to do is bring any shame to it. This is not about drawing conclusions or saying what is right and wrong. These are thoughts and questions based …
