Tina D. Stephens
-
Deserts & Fountains: Thoughts on Thriving
The late Princess Diana told us, in a BBC interview, that in life you have to choose to either sink or to swim. She was talking about survival. In my own life I have struggled through infertility, depression, panic attacks,… Continue reading
-
Queen for a Day
A fictional tale to celebrate mothers in the thick of raising a family. The idea of Queen for a Day began with a text. I was leaning against an office cubicle browsing through emails on my phone when a message… Continue reading
-
A Heart-Shaped Leaf: notes from an adoptive mother
Last week my 18-year-old son came into the kitchen while I was fixing dinner. He held a closed hand in front of me. “Open your hand mom.” I looked up at his smirk. “No”, I said. “I don’t trust you.”… Continue reading
-
The Great Misadventure of Summer 1985
The following is a relaying of events, which took place when I was 15. It is a completely one-sided tale and it is altogether possible that some details have become “stretched” with time; except for what happened in Plymouth, the… Continue reading
-
A Mother’s Love
He came broken. I thought I could heal him. He had walls. I thought I could climb them. He had no hope. I thought I could fill him. I broke from trying. Then I loved him.… Continue reading
-
Joy, and living life beautifully.
At some point on my life journey I forgot about joy. A couple of years ago I battled severe depression and thoughts of suicide. When I finally came out of that dark time I was changed. I’m seeing the world… Continue reading
-
Thoughts on Courage
Life sometimes is more than we can handle. There are times when we “can’t do this”. But it is in those “can’t do this” moments when we find the very source of our courage. Continue reading
-
Book Tour Reflections
I recently returned from a book tour in northeastern Pennsylvania where my novel, The Common Hours, takes place. My arrival in Pennsylvania was timed with peak fall foliage, something which I had not seen since leaving the state in 2001. It was… Continue reading
-
The story behind the novel, “The Common Hours”
I am often asked who “The Common Hours” is about and how much of it is my life. The story which unfolds in this novel is a story which has been forming in my mind for many years. It was… Continue reading
-
“Broken Shoes”-a lesson in gratefulness
In 1980 I thought my blue Traxx shoes from Kmart were the coolest shoes I had ever worn. They looked somewhat similar to the popular Nike shoe with the big check mark on the side. Every year my parents bought me two… Continue reading
Tina D. Stephens-Author 