Light the Darkness
I was nursing my baby, standing in the kitchen, watching the little television a neighbor had lent me to get through the early days of life with a newborn and an undiagnosed case of postpartum...
View ArticleIn Case You’re Really Hoping Things Can Change
Go ahead fill in the blank. Oh, in my family, everyone thinks I’m _______________________ , but I don’t really see myself that way. Yeah, I never got to do _______________________ . I guess it just...
View ArticleMutual Weirdness and Other Love Stories
I can’t stop watching this video. If I didn’t know these two personally, I would not believe they could possibly be this honest, this sweet or this devoted, but they are. So much, so ridiculously much....
View ArticleWhat Happens When It Storms
Today is not just another day for someone living in the central islands of the Philippines. Instead, it’s another day that a mother waits in desperation for news of a missing a child or another watches...
View ArticleIf Your Parents Don’t Get You: An Experiment
Some of you are going into a warzone today. Others a wasteland. For many it will be more like an arcade where all the games are fixed and the outcomes already determined. A few of you will feel like...
View ArticleThe Mother to Heal All Wounds
I’ve been down deep in a cave, hiding out from the whirl and sheer velocity of a brand new year, a brand new season. In years past it seemed like there were so few people in the world debating their...
View ArticleSick of Pretending?
I’m sitting here in my messy office, wondering if I should watch Fight Club or Chocolat. Do you know these films? Both tell stories of creative destruction for the sake of necessary and complete...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Feelings Schmeelings: A Beginner’s Guide
Feel it, people. Whatever it is that’s brewing under there. Today is the day. So whatdya got? Joy? Frustration? Rage? Happiness? Hope? Bliss? The ability to feel is one of our greatest assets but it’s...
View ArticleIn Case You’re Tired of Feeling Low About Mother’s Day
Here we are. Again. Eating our Mother’s Day brunches. Browsing last minute grocery store cards. Wondering how we got here, back again to this holiday that dredges up so much and leaves us too often...
View ArticleClik here to view.
coming home
I’m coming home. Tell the world I’m coming home. Three years ago this spring I criss-crossed borders to bring two girls in Rwanda home to their mother in the United States. It was a fool’s errand, the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
If Your Marriage is Breaking Right Now
Maybe no one knows yet. Maybe you don’t know yourself. All that’s clear is that this thing is breaking and it will never ever be the same. Maybe that thought is a relief. Maybe it’s terrifying. Maybe...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Do you want to be a more conscious parent?
Sometimes we carry ghosts around as grownups. The way our mother spoke. The way our father neglected. Enter your own kids and there’s nothing you want more than for your children to know peace where...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Do You Need a Little Peace & Quiet?
My name is Jen Lemen, and I’m here to tell stories and to capture quiet moments that change us in tiny ways forever. Quiet Mornings, Hopeful Nights is a 3 minute daily audio series designed to help...
View ArticleClik here to view.
To Nepal With Love: Earthquake Relief
Subhash Ghimire and Sabi Gurung, dearest friends of myself and Hopeful World, are on the ground now, directing relief efforts to the remote regions where traditional and governmental aid cannot reach,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Help is On the Way for Gorkha
The last few days have been a whirlwind! Thank you SO much for making this little miracle happened. In less than three days, we raised almost $12K, enough for Sabi to purchase not only the 500...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Because of You
My heart is SO full. We cannot thank you enough for giving to this cause. Because of you… We were able to send 500 blankets, 300 tents, hundreds of bags of rice, water within 72 hours of making the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
If the Earth Shakes You
Don’t be afraid. Down along the sides of your body, you will notice your hands, slightly extended, steadying you in mid air, as the earth rocks back and forth beneath your feet. Next to your hands...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Vulnerability is the New Black
We know from our work with Brené that true connection and belonging come from this place. We know that we cannot experience joy without also being open to experiencing suffering. If we are defended...
View Article
