posts on life
If you’ve ever worked in marketing and communications, then you know the importance of having some boilerplate language for various crisis communications scenarios. Today is not my first day back at work, but as with many big moments in life, I already know what I will need to say—really what I will need to preach to myself—when that day arrives. This is my boilerplate return to work post.
Fourth of July growing up in Texas was sticky. My cousins and I would start the day gathering our bikes, strollers, wagons—anything with wheels—and draping them in red, white, and blue to create a circle-driveway parade at my grandfather’s house. By 10 am, it was over 100 degrees, so we’d plunge our sticky selves into the pool and fill our bellies with watermelon and those special processed snacks that you could always count on from Pappaw…
It was about a year ago. We were eating dinner at the dining table in our living room. Behind us, a tarp blocked off the real dining room, which had no ceiling. Sawdust and particles of whatever used to insulate our hundred-year-old attic covered the heavy cardboard that covered our wood floors. It was hot, and our summer renovation projects had reached the point where the glamour and excitement was wearing thin, replaced by impatience and the struggle to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
LEGO. The magic of those little bricks. Endless possibility. Delightful tiny replicas. Adorably mis-proportioned accessories.
The problem with being in your 20s is that you have a lot to say (and some of it is quite good) but you haven't yet earned the spiritual street cred for people to listen. Now in my 30s, I probably do have a few nuggets to share, but the imposter syndrome can be debilitating. I expect that by my 40s, I'll have achieved the right seasoning.
Chances are, if you haven’t personally assessed every item in your home for joy-sparking, someone on your social media feed has. She’s evangelizing about her newfound freedom thanks to Marie Kondo, Japanese organizing consultant, and all-around delightful inspiration for former-hoarders. Few people can simultaneously judge your messy home and somehow make you feel good about your capacity to change.
"I can do it myself," replies the small boy I carried in my belly not four, short years ago. And he does—struggling at awkward angles to force his head through, wiggling squishy hands and toes each into their proper sleeve. What once was my job is now his, and I watch him closely, almost scientifically. I want to mark these movements in my memory's timeline. A baby, but now a boy...
I recently picked up one of Jen Hatmaker's audiobooks to listen to during my commute. For the Love is the second most recent in a slew of books written by this popular blogger. I keep hearing her mentioned and lauded around on social media. Then, she got caught up in a controversy about her "stance" on a certain theological issue, which really piqued my interest...
Reposted from Cornerstone West LA. We are a camping family. So periodically we pack down the car with our tent and sleeping bags and head out into the middle of nowhere to enjoy God’s creation. No screens and no wifi, instead there is hiking and a lot of dirt and sweat and sore muscles. At the end of each day, after the kids have exhausted themselves and are tucked in for the night, we enjoy a few meditative moments watching the campfire flames flicker in the dark. Fire is a great servant, but a terrible master...
I first began blogging in college at a site I called "Esther." The pseudonym was inspired by the Biblical character of the same name, whose story I've been enamored with since early high school. It had all the drama and princess theming that appealed to me during that life stage—a tale of a young girl plucked from obscurity, who wins the heart of a king, then uses her position to rescue her people during a time of need. I adopted a verse from her narrative as a sort of personal theme: "But who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
My mother wanted to name me Meredith. I was never "almost an Alice" or "maybe Christine." She loved the name Meredith, so as soon as she knew I would be, I was called Meredith.
Reposted from Cornerstone West LA. When I went back home to Texas for the summer after my first year at USC, I had a conversation with a close friend of mine that has stuck with me to this day. We were catching up on our college experiences, and she shared with me how she had recently felt convicted about her addiction to caffeine...
Reposted from Cornerstone West LA. Depression says many things. All of them are lies. But the worst of these lies masquerade as truth. They sound like truths—spiritual truths even—but they are subtly twisted, misguided, and misdirected.
I was fortunate to come of age in the company of two proper Belgians (my now husband and the best man at our wedding), so when I first learned to drink beer, I benefitted from their expertise. What this developed for me was not necessarily the most refined beer palette—I still consider myself quite amateur—but rather a solid sense of the varieties of beer I like and what is not worth ordering for myself, no matter how trendy. But since we recently traveled to the motherland, I took the opportunity to try as many different beers as social responsibility for a person of my stature would allow. Here, I offer my completely amateur opinions of the experience...
It's a quiet Saturday on the coast of Southern California, and a sunny beach day is our gift to the visiting inlaws. The kids dance with delight in the shallowest fingers of the waves, their shovels and buckets abandoned before me. I am charged with guarding the blanket, which is my own delight. My black yoga pants draw in the sun and its warmth prickles my skin, the ocean breeze a balancing cool on my face. Familiar sounds. Familiar smells. I gaze out to infinity.
I am glad that I asked for books instead of cards at my first baby shower. I didn't know how much of a reader Eloïse would be, but it has certainly worked in our favor to be well stocked. And still, two children over the course of four years have put a substantial wear and tear on our collection...
I do miss singing. With life as it is lately, there aren't a ton of opportunities for me to really belt at the top of my lungs like I might have in high school or college. There were more places for that, then, and there was less NPR.
Today I sit in a small garden on the campus where I work, admiring the blue skies and imagining the beautiful scene above them. While my family, miles away, attends my grandfather's funeral, I join them in spirit.
We got back last week from camping* with the family, which was our most successful trip ever. There was family napping, good food, lots of relaxing in nature, and even a little bit of pinterest-inspired nature crafting. It was so good that even a double-vomit situation on the drive home couldn't derail it. Now that we've been camping with the kids in a variety of different settings, I think we've finally found a good groove. With that in mind, here is my working list of Storrs Family Camping Hacks...
I was halfway through my first pregnancy when my OB's archaic sound device couldn't find a heartbeat. She seemed non-plussed and suggested a follow up with the ultrasound tech. I had already seen and heard my baby at previous appointments, already announced to overjoyed friends and family that we were expecting our first child in June. At nearly 20 weeks, I found the her referral odd, but I didn't know enough to be worried....
Today I dropped Eloïse off at her new preschool. I put on a brave smile, as if my heart wasn't stuck in my throat. Armed this time with pull-ups and a bento box, Eloïse is transitioning into the next level of her pint-sized education...
Juggling doubles makes it hard to find time for writing, but I still enjoy the opportunity so much when it arises. Take this post, for example, which I am typing with my thumbs via the WordPress app while my baby nurses. Whatever works, right? I recently started my first gig blogging for another site, Cornerstone West LA, which has altogether different thrills...
Anderson Columbus Storrs was born on August 4, 2014 at 1:49 p.m. He weighed 7 pounds and 6 ounces and measured 19 and a half inches long. He was exactly 2 pounds larger, yet only a half-inch longer, than his sister, but there was a world of difference between their stories...
When Phil and I went to Mexico on our honeymoon, we were surprised and a little naively flattered when we walked through the market to catcalls of "Newlyweds! Newlyweds..." Each vendor seemed to know we were just married and offered jewelry and candies just for "the special couple." We must have exuded that doe-eyed romantic glow. It wasn't until the second time we went to Mexico, a year later with some friends of ours, that we realized "Newlyweds!" was a ploy they use on any couple under fifty. Probably also on any particularly happy-looking geriatric couple. The flattery makes you feel looser with your wallet. A second pregnancy has some of the same amusing revelations...
Last weekend we traded in my long-time roadway companion, my Jetta, my friend...
Few things comfort a not-so-new mother quite like a glass of wine, a good book, and a warm bath. Especially when those three can be enjoyed in conjunction, while her little angel sleeps peacefully down the hall...
First, read this. Seriously. Go read it. It's an excellent education in the history of Feminism and its relevance in culture and the church today. And it's actually much better than this post, so if you only have time for one, read what Amy has to say...
On Saturday, October 6, 2012 at 3:44 am, God brought Eloïse Opal Storrs into our family completely according to His own plan and timing...
About three weeks ago I went in to see a specialist for a routine ultrasound. He was checking that our little one has all her fingers and toes, and in the process noticed that she is a little small for her age...
Now that I have completed jury service, and am thus no longer under oath to not disclose any information related to the trial, I thought I would share my reflections on the experience. This was my first time serving jury duty and, what do you know, I got picked to sit on the trial...
As I say goodbye to the 2nd Trimester this week, I thought now would be a nice time for a little pregnancy reflection...
I have a secret. I was saving it for the next time I play "Two Truths and a Lie," but will instead let the cat out of the bag now. When I was in high school, a boy-who-I-had-a-crush-on hit me in the face during a game of Ultimate Frisbee and knocked my right front tooth loose. He felt horrible...
Between the SBC report and Robb Elementary this week, it feels surreal to be safely sitting on my couch watching Beauty and the Beast with my nine-year-old daughter…