Dana VanderLugt | Writer

Falling Apart Together

I get nervous visiting the pediatrician ever since my kids became old enough to answer the nurse’s preliminary questions on their own. Will they tell the truth about how few fruits and vegetables they eat? That they rarely wear their bicycle helmets when they’re...

That first hill

Full disclosure: I woke up feeling overwhelmed today, fixating way too much on hustling and keeping up the illusion of holding it all together. Then The Twelve blog posted a darn essay I wrote (just a few days ago) about breathing, laughing, and taking refuge in...

Meet Murray

I’m writing today from my sunroom table, my favorite summer writing spot. I’ve mentioned this favorite place before — the light breeze through the screened doors, the farmer’s fields lit up bright green by the morning sun, the robins chirping away. But this...

Saving Up Stories

This blog post was originally published on The Twelve.  My grandpa passed away last winter. One of the things I miss most is saving up stories for him. My family still gathers around grandma’s table every Sunday, and most weeks my husband, kids, and I are there....