Hi! My name is Allison, and writing really is my therapy, a clear symptom of my verbal processing. I suppose there are a few different titles that fit me: woman, wife, mother, Jesus follower, professor, editor, wordsmith, and sometimes a little overly emotional. I think you’ll see a little of each on these pages.

My desire to blog was largely inspired by two Ann(e)s. I first met Anne Jackson, who in her book Permission to Speak Freely, describes the gift of going second. When we choose to share first, we gift someone else the courage to share, too. There’s power in that kind of community. And that’s a lot of what I want this blog to be about. Second, I met Ann Voskamp on the pages of her book One Thousand Gifts. Her words transformed my thinking, and her voice inspired my own storytelling.

This blog began as a way for me to process the news that our firstborn lives with a rare genetic disorder. Much of my writing continues to emerge from pain, disappointment, and the beauty that rises from those ashes. These posts try to make sense of that paradox.  It often takes me weeks once I have an idea to wrap it in words and offer it here as a second gift. That’s why gaps exist between posts. I aim to write truly, choosing to focus less on frequency.

As long as life creates paradoxes, I’ll write. And I hope you’ll visit often, maybe even leave a story of your own here. Mostly, I hope you’ll find some inspiration to story-tell, too.