“Winter is not the death of the life cycle, but its crucible.” ― Katherine May It’s February. The middle ground between the beginning and the ending of winter. It’s at this time when I become restless to move in one direction or another. Let the cold of winter stay and […]
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“Curiosity is our friend that teaches us how to become ourselves. And it’s a very gentle friend and a very forgiving friend, and a very constant one.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert In our house, we often remind each other to be curious not judgmental — a line attributed to Walt […]
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“The only way we can change the way we feel is by becoming aware of our inner experience and learning to befriend what is going inside ourselves.” ― Bessel A. van der Kolk In 2004, I was working out at a gym and tore the trapezius, rhomboid, and latissimus dorsi […]
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“Silence is not the absence of something but the presence of everything . . . It is the presence of time, undisturbed. It can be felt within the chest. Silence nurtures our nature, our human nature, and lets us know who we are. Left with a more receptive mind and […]
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Hello again, my old friends! I launched this Joetography brand in 2009, after several people clamored (see: casually suggested) for me to sell my photographs online. And over the years, that small enterprise grew beyond artwork sales into a pretty steady moonlighting gig — granting me the unique privilege of […]
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He knew. By his serene state on my lap, he knew. Even before the doctor returned with his blood results, he knew. He knew his time on this earth would soon be done. He knew his love, care, and service to our family was coming to a close. He knew […]
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The day you came Naked, afraid Young mother screams and pushes you The day you came At 11:30am on October 10, 2013, you and your birthmom huddled together in a hospital bed alone and no doubt afraid in each other’s arms. What must those moments have been like for you […]
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WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I half-expected life to involve a gentle dawning, followed by smooth sailing, and topped off with a cozy fire pit and a soft pillow. I think I might have believed that life was all about making the right choices; and if you chose perfectly, as naturally […]
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One night before bed, we read the story of Jesus’s birth to our son, Quinn. . . . The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was […]
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I once heard about this Hebrew Proverb of the way children enter this world. According to the tale, the Angel Gabriel tells each baby all the secrets about God and the universe. Then he kisses them on the head before sending them off to be born. Immediately thereafter, they begin to […]
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