I put on makeup every day for 30 days. I didn’t wear makeup every day before I had my daughter, so I surely didn’t prioritize it after she was born. One day in January, I realized that I liked how I felt when I wore makeup, so I thought I would conduct a little experiment. I wanted to see how it would make me feel to wear it every day for 30 days. Depending on the results, I may consider making a concerted effort to wear it daily.

I read some pretty phenomenal books in 2023— some of which will go on my list of all-time favorites. My top ten is dominated by nonfiction, yet funnily enough, novels hold the top two spots on my list. Five of the ten are memoirs, revealing a particular preference I have for that genre right now. In general, my reading ratios are 1 novel: 1 memoir: 1 additional nonfiction. I want to read more fiction this year.

My maternal grandfather, Papa, was a great and wild soul. He was particularly close with my sister, Bailey. He loved all of his grandchildren, and made a particular effort to show up in each of our lives. But Bailey was Papa's best girl. He was totally smitten with her. He was a friendly and warm person, but he could be bristly at times, and Bailey seemed to be the only person undeterred by his bad moods. She was every bit his equal in fortitude and stature of personhood.

Who makes you laugh more than anyone else?

My mom is a powerful person. Strong, smart, opinionated, resilient. She has mothered seven children, educated as many, and served in various ministry roles throughout the years. She is a creative, with an eye for design in a number of avenues. She’s a great speaker, a great listener, and an intuitive teacher. She is sensitive to the emotional climate of any room.

I hope my grandchildren describe me as kind. I hope they feel warmth and gentleness emanating from my person every time they’re around me. I hope they remember friendly greetings to grocery store clerks and gentle words to the person who accidentally knocks our cart. I hope they don’t remember a single harsh word or unkind joke. I hope they only feel deeply loved and wildly important when they are with me.

Write about your favorite season.