I'm also the author of a memoir called Hidden in Shadow: Tales of Grief, Lamentation and Faith, (available for purchase here; or you can listen to the audio version here) as well as Invisible Hope: Poetry for Ragamuffins (available for purchase here).

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Hidden In Shadow tells the story of how I stumbled into the art of lament, and offers a glimpse of what it might look like to transform grief into something good.

By the time I graduated high school, I'd lived in five states, twelve houses, and changed schools seven times. However, the church culture I grew up in taught me to ignore and suppress the sorrow I experienced during this time.

After leaving home, I got married and started a family, only to find myself sadder than I'd been as a kid. During my first year as a new mom I suffered from post partrum depression, so I tried therapy for the first time, and discovered that writing helps me process some of my big emotions.

Through years of journaling and even more therapy, I've learned that my ability to experience hope and joy is directly related to my willingness to enter into times of sadness and lament. So, that's what I do with writing.

 

Through poetry, stories, and essays, I examine the holiness of every moment--even the tough ones--because I think the world needs to learn to embrace them, too.