You ask me what I am afraid of... That's exactly the problem: I don't know. I don't know what the future holds. I don't know what we will do. I don't know where we will be. I don't know how we will live. I don't know if you will think I'm pretty in 10 years. (For … Continue reading To my Fiance Before our Marriage
Author: Abby Penick
I am a CNA in nursing school. I am married Travis, who is the love of my life. When I am not studying, I love taking pictures, making music, writing letters, kissing baby goats, and spending time with my friends and family. I grew up as an MK in Cambodia, and am an adopted Alaskan living in Illinois.
With Both Hands.
There are two pictures in my journal: In one picture, it is dark out. There aren't any lights on the gravel path. We are in a cemetery. He is walking in front of me with a backpack on. He holds his longboard in his left hand. His dimples are showing, and his eyes are shining. … Continue reading With Both Hands.
Just Three Words
Life is a gift. And she knows it. She knows it while she sits alone at her house. She rocks in her rocking chair. She dusts the picture frames. She waits for the grandkids to call. She paces the floor. She pulls out her husband’s old shirt and wraps herself in it. Life is a … Continue reading Just Three Words
not in me
A grizzled old fellow pulled up to my fishing shack in a bulky RV. I pushed open my shack window and looked up as I leaned out, “Can I get you a day use parking pass today?” I asked. He replied with an immediate yes. I told him the price and he gave me his … Continue reading not in me
Note To Self
What would you do if you weren’t afraid? Who would you talk to? What people would you reach for Christ? What job would you pursue? Where would you go? How much would you give? What would you say to your co-workers? What would you say to your friends? How many new dreams would you have? … Continue reading Note To Self
A Book By Its Cover
Sunrise at the fishing shacks They pulled up to my window. Their van was piled with fishing nets. I couldn’t see their license plate in the dark. The vehicle windows were tinted, so I couldn’t see inside either. One of the back windows rolled down slowly, and a mid-twenties woman leaned out. She wore fishing … Continue reading A Book By Its Cover
Nursing: A Painful Process
I choked in a breath of air as I pushed open the door to the smoke room. In the far corner of the room I could barely make out my coworker. I moved across the room and sat in the cold chair next to her. A cigarette occupied the space between her full lips. She … Continue reading Nursing: A Painful Process
Mulling While Mowing
My mind whirred like the noise of the mower. I drove back and forth across the ball fields, making sure my mow lines were even. Thoughts rattled around in my head. I lost track of my straight mowing line and almost ran over a softball. Focus, Abby. I saw the company van pull up. My … Continue reading Mulling While Mowing
A Promised Dance
He sat next to his buddy who was listening to the radio in the lunch room. His eyes followed me while I walked back and forth to each different hall. I had a laundry basket balanced on one hip, a stethoscope around my neck, and a medicine book in my free hand. A blood pressure … Continue reading A Promised Dance
MK: Who Am I, Really?
Even the Thai Ronald McDonald knows how to show respect...Thailand 2011 My younger sister and I sat at a coffee shop in Cambodia. Our caffeinated brains buzzed while we discussed what it means to transition through life as an MK. “Abby, I don’t understand what the big deal about being a missionary kid is. We’re … Continue reading MK: Who Am I, Really?
