Hi. I’m Emily.

I’m a mama. A new one, shaky and head over heels. I’m a writer when I give myself the time. I’m a wife and a friend, a mediocre cook and a fairly lax housekeeper. Writing helps me notice life, its cyclical nature, its ebbs and flows. It helps me heal and it makes me feel better.

I’m also a heart mama. My daughter was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome – essentially, only half of her heart works. After two out  of the necessary three surgeries, life has evened out a little. Alllllmost normal, whatever that means. Still, her broken and spirited heart has changed everything. I wrote a lot in Annie’s hospital room; if you’d like to read more about that journey, just leave me a comment and I’ll share the link to our CaringBridge site with you. I’ll write about it a little bit here too.

I’m doing this partly for myself (see first paragraph), and in large part for connection. The past year of relying heavily on others and coming to terms with the fragility of life – my child’s in particular, but really all life- has taught me much. Especially this: It’s really, really important to connect. To reach out. I’m not great at it. But here’s my attempt to bridge the gap between our little western NC nest and you, our far-flung village. Thanks for joining us.