The Mom Behind the Counter

Issue 12 • September 9th, 2026 Apparently, I'm Still Playing My emails seem to always start off so chaotic, and well, maintain that chaos throughout. So I’m tryyyyinngggg to write this one with a little more poise. I’ve got news to share. The news actually feels kind of small, but it’s mighty. And I want to make sure you see it and you read it and I don’t lose you in the haphazardness of my writing. I’ve got two main small-but-mighty points for this newsletter, soooo…let’s jump in. My brain...

Entry #31 • September 1st, 2026 One Ripple at a Time A few weeks ago, a random video popped up on social media which, annoyingly, caught my attention. But it was actually fascinating to watch, and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen a video like it before. Or at least, not that I remembered. It was a video of a caterpillar turning into a chrysalis. Disclosure: This is my raw, unfiltered email series — part journal, part story, part processing out loud. You’re stepping into something personal...

Issue 11 • August 20th, 2026 If adults can have ants in their pants like kids do, then well, that’s me right now. Y'all should take a peek in my BRAIN. It’s like a pinball machine. Wild, chaotic, and absolutely unpredictable. I had already written a rough draft of The Mom Behind the Counter (that’s this, the email you are reading, as in “TMBTC”) back in mid-July, sooo about a month ago. BUT…I wasn’t sure I was going to use that first draft or not. So here I am, writing a new version of it....

Entry #30 • July 28th, 2026 Just Me - That's What This Is I want to write, I want to write, I want to wriiiiiiite. I think about writing often now. It feels engulfing. But sometimes I ignore the urge because I tell myself I don’t have time right now (it really does take time to commit to it if I’m going to turn it into a Just Me entry), or that I don’t really have a direction or theme for it. Really though, those just become excuses to push it off. I don’t know why. I think part of it is that...

Entry #29 • July 7th, 2026 "He didn't look like the grumpy old man I had remembered." Come with me down memory lane. Disclosure: This is my raw, unfiltered email series — part journal, part story, part processing out loud. You’re stepping into something personal here and just semi-polished for readability. My faith is a big part of my life, so you’ll often see it woven into these entries alongside everything else I share. If you’d like to catch up on past entries, you can find the full...

Entry #28 • June 16th, 2026 An Unordinary Year JM#28 has been open on my laptop and sitting empty for over a week and a half. I’ve thought numerous times about sitting down to write but would manage to immediately fill my time with other menial tasks. Quick hits on the to-do list. Send some emails. Run some reports. All the while, sitting right there on my to-do list was “JM#28” just staring me down day after day. Disclosure: This is my raw, unfiltered email series — part journal, part story,...

Issue 10 • June 3rd, 2026 Behind the Counter, Literally “Sorry, our card reader is being finicky today…I’ll have to take your card and type it in.” ‘Oh no worries, I can just tap it if that’s easier?’ “nervous laugh No, haha, the whole thing isn’t working. I’ll just have to type it in. It’s not you, it’s us.” ‘Oh, of course, that’s fine! Here you go.’ Have you experienced this recently at Colorado Baby? How about, say, the last 5x you’ve been in? Literally me for the last 6 months. The amount...

Entry #27 • May 26th, 2026 There's Art in Storytelling Too Dear Reader, Before I tell you about the future of Just Me, I think it’s important to first tell you how it all began. Back in high school, I took a photography class that I absolutely loved. What that class really awakened in me was the ability to see art in ordinary things. I’d look at something as simple as a sidewalk or curb and suddenly see beauty in it. I became fascinated with the realization that art is everywhere, absolutely...

Entry #26 • May 19th, 2026 The Friendship Deficit When my son received his Type 1 diabetes diagnosis in June of last year (how has it already been this long and yet also so short?—and we still have a lifetime ahead of us), a prayer formed in my heart almost instantly. Disclosure: This is my raw, unfiltered email series — part journal, part story, part processing out loud. You’re stepping into something personal here and just semi-polished for readability. My faith is a big part of my life, so...