Wonderland

Sometimes getting lost is the only way to find where you belong.

When my daughter Lark and I get stranded in Silent Springs—a quirky mountain town that seems frozen in time—I expect a quick car repair and we’ll be on our way. Instead, we find mysteriously delayed parts, a free room at the local B&B, and a town full of people who act like they’ve been waiting for us.
I should be worried about the mechanic who quotes poetry while avoiding fixing my car. Or the three sisters who run the town with equal parts chaos and casseroles. Or the fact that my twelve-year-old has already planned out which bedroom she wants in a house we don’t own.

Instead, I’m worried about how comfortable this all feels.
For the first time in forever, Lark is thriving. She’s making friends, joining traditions, and lighting up in ways I forgot she could. And me? I’m remembering what it feels like to belong somewhere. To be part of something bigger than just surviving.

But staying means stopping. It means trusting. It means believing we deserve the kind of community that’s slowly wrapping around us like a warm blanket.

A story about single motherhood, finding your people in unexpected places, and discovering that sometimes getting lost is the only way to finally come home.