The Scarlet Letter that Led to Community: Infertility as an Expat
“Thwack-thwack!” Her cleaver severed the chicken on the chopping block as it came down with each powerful swing. We had been going to the same chicken butcher for about...
Category: Relationships
A Letter to Fresh Off the Plane Me
After more than a decade overseas, building community is still both the biggest struggle and the biggest blessing. I wish someone had given a pep talk to fresh-off-the-plane Emily,...
A Tight-Nit Community
There was nothing on our island that said "community" like a good old-fashioned lice-picking party. The women chattered endlessly as they combed through each other's hair,...
Healthy Marriage Tips for Stressful Times
We had just gotten in bed and turned on the air conditioner. After a very long day, we were both exhausted. I looked over and raised my hand for...
Marriage in the Redemptive Shadow of the Cross
I was never a fan of parallel parking. I actually failed my first driver’s test because I hit the curb while trying to parallel park. Don’t ask me what...
The Same Page
He leans over to kiss me goodnight and shifts to prepare for the rest of his evening. The bed empties of his presence as he quietly slips on his...
An Abundant Banquet
I once attended a wedding celebration in Taiwan that included a bountiful, 13-course meal. The food just kept coming—noodles, dumplings, stir-fry, soups. My cup was never empty, and I...
Independence
At the mature age of two and a half, I would choose one of my mom’s nursing school textbooks off the bookshelf and proudly begin to “read.” My mom...
The Dark Side of Green
There is a dark side to singleness. An ugly, evil, green dark side. Four years ago, I was preparing to move to my...
Attachment Matters
I became pregnant for the first time at the age of 23; it was both an unexpected pregnancy and an unexpected extra baby. I was working at a university...
