A single thirtysomething friend recently told me about their increasing sense of isolation. “All the people I used to hang out with, five years ago, are now married,” she lamented. “I no longer have any friends.” Apparently, when some people get married, they no longer hang out with their single friends. Something shifts in our […]
When a Christian is Childless
We sat at the church function at one of those big round tables that can fit four couples around it. My husband and I listened in silent horror as the other three couples at the table freely and unashamedly bashed childless people. “Childless people have no idea what it’s like to be a parent,” they […]
Why Perfectionism and Chronic Illness Don’t Mix
I am a born perfectionist. I grew up with the work-hard, follow-the-rules, be-a-good-Christian-girl mentality. I walk into a room and spot the dirt. I hear when a singer is singing flat. I notice spelling mistakes in books. I am not looking for these things, but they are the first things I see. Perfectionism is based […]
Singledom – Or the Social Leper Syndrome, Part 2
A moment of inspiration After an agonising few years of self-doubt and frustration, it slowly dawned on me that maybe I was not alone. Maybe there were other Christians in their late twenties like me, unhappily single, alone, looking for support. Maybe there were resources out there for such singles and I just needed to […]
Singledom – Or The Social Leper Syndrome, Part 1
I got married a little later in life. Ok, it wasn’t actually that late. I was twenty-nine years old. I can already hear the disbelieving laughter. “Twenty-nine? Come back and talk to me when you are fifty and still single!” I know, right? I am aware that, compared to most of society, twenty-nine does not […]
The Waiting Room
I spent this morning in a waiting room. Not coz I had nothing better to do. And not coz there was anything wrong with me. Thank you kindly for asking. It was for my cat. Yes, the things you do for love. While I was waiting for my cat to be seen, I got thinking […]
How I Wrote A Book
A lot of people ask me how I wrote my book, Surviving Singledom. The question comes up quite often at book signings in particular. So I thought I would share how Surviving Singledom came into existence in five easy steps. Disclaimer: All I can tell you is what I did. It worked for me. It […]
Prayer in a Bookstore
There is only one thing I think about when I’m heading to Koorong to do a book signing. Wrong. It isn’t signing books. It isn’t book sales either. It’s not even about what outfit I will wear. (But that is only because I wear the same outfit every time.) When I spend the day at […]
Book on a Mission
She walked through the doors of Koorong and approached us. A familiar face. No name leapt to mind, but I knew I knew her. She smiled a shy smile and said she had previously purchased a copy of my book. “That’s right!” I exclaimed, recognition dawning. “How did you go with the book?” She told […]
Put It On My Tab
I heard a story yesterday about resilience. Apparently there was a man born without hands or legs. We are talking lifelong disability here. One day he was out in the snow, and when he came in, he said, “Brrr it’s cold! I’m so cold I can’t feel my hands.” But seriously folks. . . As […]