Kristen Howerton is the author of Rage Against the Minivan: Learning to Parent Without Perfection. She is a writer, speaker, podcast host, and licensed marriage and family therapist working with couples, families, and individuals. Kristen lives in Southern California with her four children. You can finder on line at kristenhowerton.com.
Posts By This Author
What Rachel Held Evans Knew About Not Going to Church
, 02-25-2026
Photo by David Trinks on Unsplash
In the summertime, the light darts through the slits in the blinds all gold and sudden—no gentle fade through purple and blue and gray to get you used to the idea of another day. I wake and listen to Dan breathe next to me. We stopped setting an alarm a long time ago.
Somewhere between 8 and 9, when the songbirds have settled down, I formulate my excuse: