You’re Not the Only One
Anxiety was no stranger to me when I moved overseas eight years ago. I had struggled with anxiety back during my childhood and while I went through seasons where it faded into the background, it always seemed to be there. Like a pesky leak, anxiety had found its way into every crevice of my being, […]
Broken Bones, Broken Brains
My family has endured its fair share of broken bones, ranging from arms and wrists to elbows and fingers. One of the worst breaks occurred at a beautiful park while my son played happily atop a playground. We heard his scream and knew that something bad had happened. He had fallen and had braced himself […]
He Holds Me
“I think I have anxiety.” The words came out in a rush, followed hard by tears and shame. Saying them out loud felt like failure. Like an admission that I wasn’t strong enough or resilient enough or faithful enough to beat this thing that was overwhelming me. But I needed help. I had been back […]
This Week’s Theme: On Being a Woman – Mental Health
You are not alone. The mental health of our global worker community matters to us. Shame can keep these struggles in the dark, fear over appearing weak or losing support and needing to return silencing us. It’s hard to ask for help. It’s hard to admit when we are struggling. But we were never meant […]
The Day I Kept Quiet
We were all happy for a bathroom break. It had been a long morning of travel on remote mountain roads, the kind with deep ruts and anything-but-smooth-sailing. Add to that the headache-inducing air freshener our driver had installed in his sturdy Toyota van, and every one of us was ready for a few moments outside […]
This Week’s Theme: On Being a Woman – Sexuality
For the single who wonders if her sexuality is wasted. For the married woman who is struggling to find enjoyment in sex but doesn’t know how to ask for help. For the one carrying the pain of what never should have been done to her. For the sister with questions and confusion. The one cloaked […]
This Too Shall Pass
I still remember about 15 years ago, I was at a conference for women working cross-culturally, helping to facilitate one of the discussion groups. I do not even remember the theme of the conference because in my group there were two ladies going through menopause. And they were struggling. Their issues dominated the conversation and […]
Questions, Questions, Read All About It!
I always have more questions than answers these days. Sometimes those questions are met with resolve and other times they are rooted in mystery. I ask questions from the fog that loiters in my brain like, “Now where did I put my keys?” Or questions that I ask from the frustrations in the waiting like, […]
The Change is Normal (But Hard Nonetheless)
“My body is a mess,” I told my nurse practitioner. “I’m bloated, my cycle is crazy off, I’m getting some of the worst headaches I’ve ever had, and I’m so irritable. One minute I’m fine and the next I’m crying. I’m so moody and I notice that I’m super forgetful too.” When I finished listing […]
This Week’s Theme: On Being a Woman – Menopause
Hot flashes and life in the tropics? Foggy brain and the stress of cross-cultural life? Perimenopause and menopause combined with overseas life might sound completely overwhelming! Or you might be living it out right now and you just need a girl chat over some chocolate. We’ll pull the fan over and pour our hearts out […]
Goodbye, Dear One
“I suggest you prepare yourself for losing this baby,” the gynecologist warned gently. “I can’t find any heart movement.” Alarmed, I tried to comprehend this sudden turn of events. I hadn’t even had my first appointment, and now here I lay on an examining table—on my thirty-first birthday, in Indonesia, at 9:00 p.m.—beginning to miscarry. […]
When Answers Don’t Come
I remember the silence in the ultrasound room. It was unnerving, and I knew something was wrong. The words that soon followed confirmed my suspicions: “I cannot find a heartbeat.” It seemed like a cruel joke. My appointment was supposed to confirm life, but instead I was staring at death. My tears began to flow, […]