This reflection weaves poetry, memory, and gratitude as Jane navigates early grief after Jerry’s death—holding sorrow and hope together. Through small kindnesses, shared stories, writing, faith, and community, she honors love that endures, learns to live beyond “hanging in there,” and carries forward a life shaped by devotion, creativity, and the quiet power of tending oneself while remembering deeply.

A teenage promise made on a hot summer day at the county fair ended in a hospital room and a doctor’s hard-earned wisdom. Keeping one’s word shapes character, but life eventually teaches that honoring our limits and tending ourselves is not breaking a promise—it’s keeping one that truly matters.

In Mary’s country, I met readers, shared stories, and felt the deep joy of connection. From cupcakes to courageous women, from salt air to signing books beside poet Dana Huneke-Stone, June was a celebration of resilience, reading, and community. Thank you for making the “select group” of readers a little smaller.

A weathered chair, a curious child, and a shared book reminded me: stories invite us to pause, connect, and heal. In celebrating parents who read to their children, we honor the power of story to unveil mystery—inside pages, and within ourselves. May your next read reveal something beautiful.

With her 41st book releasing soon, Jane Kirkpatrick shares the thrill—and vulnerability—of creation. A glowing Booklist review lets her exhale, while an earthquake reminds her of deeper tremors. Circling the wounded with love and prayer, she reminds us: even in uncertainty, we mend, tend, and spark hope together.

When kids “made it” despite hardship, researchers found one common thread—they each had someone who truly saw them. A parent, teacher… sometimes even a bus driver. Our granddaughter Mariah just became one. She’ll not just drive, but notice and care. And that can change everything for a child.