Tag: caregivers
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Tea Time with Mandy: The Empty Chair
Sarah hadn’t felt much of anything for a long time. The house was quiet that December afternoon—too quiet, the kind of quiet that grief lays over a home like a heavy blanket. Lights from the Christmas tree glowed softly across the dining room walls, yet nothing in the room felt warm. It had been over…
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🌾 The Grace of Ordinary Days: Finding Gratitude in the Weight and Wonder of Life’s Storms
This past year has taught me more about thankfulness than perhaps any other season of my life. Not the easy kind of gratitude — the one that flows naturally when everything’s going right — but the kind that aches in your chest and trembles through your prayers. The kind that whispers, “Thank You, God,” even…
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Comfort Foods That Heal: Nourishing Body, Mind & Soul
Life in the city can be chaotic. Between work, responsibilities, and the stressors that weigh us down, it’s easy to forget the simple comfort that food can bring. For me, there’s something deeply soothing about a bowl of hot, nourishing food on an anxious tummy—it not only fills the body but quiets the mind. But…
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Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle While Still Enjoying Comfort Foods in the City
Over the last several years, my health has been slightly subpar due to tremendous amounts of stress—stress from work, everyday responsibilities, and most importantly, the heavy role of being a caregiver for my husband. That season took its toll on my body and mind in ways I could never have anticipated. By the time I…
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A Ray of Light in the Midst of the Storm
Yesterday was one of those days when city life felt overwhelming — the noise, the pace, and a handful of stressful appointments. But in the middle of it all, my husband had a surprise for me. I had no idea where we were going. All I knew was that we were slipping away for a…
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A Season of Restoration: What I’ve Been Up To Lately
The past few weeks have been a whirlwind—a mixture of exhaustion, hope, and unexpected creativity. I’ve spent nearly half my time in Manhattan, walking hospital halls and sitting in waiting rooms as my husband continues to undergo intensive medical treatments for Fanconi Anemia. The rest of that time has been spent in Washington, DC, at…
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When Doctors Give Up — The Alarming State of Healthcare in the Southern U.S.
This morning I woke up with a heavy heart. My husband and I got ready, not for work or a pleasant outing, but to go and pray with a dear friend in the hospital. He’s been battling stage 4 liver and esophageal cancer since last year. Now, his doctors in Georgia have given up hope,…
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Caregiver Life 101
“Take care of yourself.” It’s the first thing people say when they find out you’re a caregiver—and quite honestly, it’s the last thing they help you understand. When my husband Dexter was diagnosed in 2019 with Fanconi Anemia, a rare and complicated genetic disorder that predisposes individuals to multiple types of cancer, I was thrown…
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Living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: Aging, Understanding, and Hope
When you live with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), every day can feel like a puzzle you weren’t given all the pieces to—especially when you’ve lived most of your life not knowing you even had it. For me, EDS isn’t just a diagnosis; it’s a life journey that has spanned four decades of unanswered questions, unexplained pain,…
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Do We Really Want to Make America Great Again?
The slogan “Make America Great Again” has been heard on repeat for years now, but here’s a real question we need to ask ourselves: Do we really mean it? Because…
Country Girl Gone City 