Callie J. Smith

author

Tag: communion

Pausing with Whatever: Practices of a Monk in the World

Sep 6, 2023

—

by

Callie J. Smith

in grief and memory

The titles on my bookshelves don’t fully reveal what those shelves or their books actually hold. Because I have the habit of tucking notes into my books for safekeeping, I never quite know what will fall out when I open a book. Not a great organizational method for my correspondence, this tucking away of notes…
On Joy and Summer Trees

Jun 20, 2023

—

by

Callie J. Smith

in grief and memory, hope and imagination, spirituality and creativity

Are there memories whose goodness has surprised you? Though not a poet, I took a workshop earlier this year which involved writing a poem that explored the divine through joy. Inspired by the vividness of Li-Young Lee’s sense-awakening poem “From Blossoms”, I tried writing about a kind of remembering moment that has taken me by surprise,…
Claiming a Fast in Pandemic Time: On How We Carry What We Miss

Oct 21, 2021

—

by

Callie J. Smith

in grief and memory

Before the pandemic, the scent of warm, yeasty bread would have filled the chapel. Someone from our school’s café would have walked down in the hour or so before the service to leave a fresh-baked loaf wrapped in a white towel on the table. We’d have smelled it through all the prayers, music, and spoken…
On Mountain Biking and Trying Again

Mar 28, 2021

—

by

Callie J. Smith

in hope and imagination

I remember lying on my back, looking up through tree branches. Leaves crunched under me, and my new mountain bike lay on top of me. It was not a promising beginning. In fact, it was a broken rib. Painful as the injury felt, I actually found it a bit comforting. This fracture gave me a…

About the author

Callie J. Smith writes about women who, like her, are finding themselves. Her stories and essays explore everyday things like hope, creativity, and grief.