Pepper D. Basham

There are definitely pros to being a mom.

Some things in the long list of Mommy perks are middle of the night cuddles, baby rosebud lip kisses, the exuberance of a first step or first pulled tooth, the delight in discovering a sense of humor, full-body hugs, or secretly sharing a chocolate bar....hmmm, chocolate is always a good idea ;-)

There are also those not so fabulous Mommy chores. Middle of the night cuddles aren't as fun when they've happened eve...

I've only had this phenomenon happen with one of my children...and I'm so thankful it has ONLY been one. It's 'the blanket'! You know, like Linus on Charlie Brown, the little boy who always carried this little blue blanket wherever he went. In a pinch, the blanket could be converted into a hat, or nest, or...oh, all kinds of things.Know what I mean?

My son, Samuel, has one of those blankets...and come to think of it, it's blue too. That blanket is one of his most treasured...

Have your kids ever doubted you? Mine have...let me count the ways. My oldest son gives me a momentary play by play each morning before school to remind me exactly how many minutes have passed. He repeats the refrain, "Mom, if we don't leave by 7:30, I will be tardy for school" as if I can't read a clock and haven't gotten them to school on time 99% of the time. (Who's perfect?)

My oldest daughter keeps asking me the same question over and over again, as if my memory doesn'...

Have you ever tried to figure out what someone is thinking? I think we spend a majority of our time in relationships trying to ‘read’ people by their nonverbal communication and social responses. Somehow, when someone says ‘fine’, but their body language isn’t in agreement with that word, we pick up on it and either ignore it, or (as a good friend should) reach out to them with compassion.

Even though a majority of people in the world have the ...

Here is a wonderful quote/prayer by Robert Louis Stevenson, the 19th century author who penned books like Treasure Island, Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Kidnapped.

"Give us courage and gaiety and the quiet mind.

Spare to us our friends, soften to us our enemies.

Bless us, if it may be, in all our innocent endeavors.

If it may not, give us the strength to enc...

History is full of authors who stretched the limits of their own knowledge, of those who wrote from their backyard experiences, and those who dreamed worlds into being. So what does it take to make print come to life? A love for writing, practice in the art of creating, and a vivid imagination housed between one’s ears.

Recently I listened to some presenters say “write what you know” – which is a wonderful piece of advice. But ‘what one knows&#...

One of my five year old students with Autism ran out of the stairwell and down the hallway, leaving an earth-shattering scream reverberating off the cream-colored tile floors. I jumped up from my office chair and moved at a quicker-than-usual pace toward him, passing a few wide-eyed college students along the way. The little boy?s mom stood by, helplessly, wondering what set him off this time, while the college students started to snicker.

No one snickers at my students. Therefore, the ...

Sarah Harper is driven to achieve success no matter what the cost. She wants to do good and not hurt the people she loves--especially children and her husband, Joe--but her desire to succeed in her career too often leaves little time for family.

One cold, autumn afternoon, all of that changes when Sarah's car plunges off a bridge and into a river. She is presu...

Have your kids ever doubted you? Mine have...let me count the ways. My oldest son gives me a momentary play by play each morning before school to remind me exactly how many minutes have passed. He repeats the refrain, "Mom, if we don't leave by 7:30, I will be tardy for school" as if I can't read a clock and haven't gotten them to school on time 99% of the time. (Who's perfect?)

My oldest daughter keeps asking me the same question over and over again, as if my memory doesn'...

So, how many times have you had it happen?

You are experiencing the BEST night's sleep you've ever known since becoming a mother.

Your pillow is the perfect consistency. Your blankets are situated just as you like them. Even your husband's bass-like snoring isn't annoying you.

And then......

You hear the pitter patter of little feet as they scurry from their bed, down the hall, and wait by your head. Sometimes the pitter patter is accompanied with a moan or cry...my da...