Photo by A. McCormick As a child, I remember my parents' words of encouragement, “Stay focused!” Stay focused when homework seemed impossible. Stay focused when a best friend became a distant acquaintance. Stay focused when normal childhood challenges threatened to defeat me. As a young woman, treasured teachers, mentors, and leaders advised me, “Stay the …
Author: Allison McCormick
The Invitation
Photo by M. Watson The candles on the kitchen island are lit. They make the house smell like cinnamon and clove. The tree is decorated. Outside lights are hung, and the handmade manger graces the porch. Gifts have been shipped; amazingly, most have already reached their destinations. All that is left is baking for our …
I Was Blind but Now…
The sun was casting a shadow through the canopy of leaves. Slivers of light fell onto the path in front of my feet. The leaves were brilliant—red, orange, and a yellow that shouted, “Look at me!” I‘ve walked this path many times over the years. But this year, this year the leaves—I don’t remember them …
Lessons Learned in The Ordinary
Photo by A. McCormick My morning walks are filled with amazing sights— the sun rising over a foggy embankment, the new puppy walking for the first time on his leash, and the sounds of birds. But they are also about seeing the ordinary in extraordinary ways. It was a cool morning. We had showers throughout …
A Season of Change
Photo by A. McCormick I spent a few hours this week cleaning the garden shed, an old repurposed compost bin, and putting the raised garden beds to rest for the winter. I always have mixed emotions about ending the gardening season, but it's time to give myself and the earth a rest. Time to shift …
Hiding in Plain Sight
Photo by E. Estremera (Unsplash) The summer garden is winding down. But to my surprise, I found a late volunteer tomato plant in one of the raised beds. I started to pull it out, but since it was courageous enough to grow, I decided to leave it alone. I put a cage around just in …
BeLoved 