Posts by Well-Read Mom
Learning Happiness
After six fast-paced, exciting, and chaotic years of getting married, landing my first teaching job, welcoming two babies, completing my graduate degree, moving to a new town, and beginning a new job, a quietness settled over my life. As I looked around, I realized I had everything I once believed would fill my heart and bring me happiness: a beautiful family, a supportive community, and a job I loved….
Read MoreRediscovering the Joy of Reading
When I was a little girl, my favorite summer pastime was to sit underneath the tree that my Grandpa Harry had planted in our backyard and read a book that had been carefully selected from the children’s section of the Bexley Public Library. The sunshine illuminated…
Read MoreChristy, Then and Now
Re-Reading Christy as an adult makes me feel as though I’ve known two Christys, or two versions of the same story.
Read MoreThe Holy Work of Reading Together
During the Year of the Teacher, I found that reading with my kids taught me even more than reading with my friends did.
Read MoreEducation & Teachers: A conversation with G. K. Chesterton Scholar Dale Ahlquist
To cap off our Year of the Teacher, we feature a conversation between Marcie Stokman, Colleen Hutt, and Dale Ahlquist, president of the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton.
Read MoreIn the Wake of Teachers: Reflecting on the Year of the Teacher
When I watched Janel, Marcie, and Nicole reveal the theme for the 2025-2026 reading year of Well-Read Mom on social media, I cried. The reaction surprised me; it felt almost overly dramatic. But as I sat and reflected on what teachers have meant to me, the deeply emotional response made sense.
Read MoreReflection on The Chosen (1981) Movie Night
Reflection on The Chosen (1981) Movie Night Written by Kathryn Skillett We gathered in the family room, with a huge bowl of popcorn on the table between us, my friends and I. What elements, we asked together before the movie began, were absolutely essential for the movie if we were to call it a successful…
Read MoreSummer Road Trips and Literary Pilgrimages
My family loves taking road trips. My boys have grown up accustomed to the 700-mile drive from Kansas City (where we live) to Austin, Texas (where my husband is from) and so have become excellent travelers.
Read MoreWhen We Discuss We Discover
When We Discuss We Discover Written by Sophie Kolars In college while I was taking my required classes for my English minor, I vividly remember feeling so out of place among the other students. The professor would begin the class by pointing out important aspects of the book that we should know, but the rest…
Read MoreWhat Love Demands in The End of the Affair
As I wrestle with my inability to stay on top of everyday tasks, and as I try to prepare for the physical and mental demands of labor, I find myself struggling with the limitations of both my body and my love.
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