Straight Paths With Crooked Lines - a Column by Susanna VanVickle

Sitting by the stone hearth at La Madeleine restaurant, two friends and I vulnerably shared our thoughts over soup and salad. The three of us savor life updates, laughter, and counsel. We have many things in common: We are committed Christian women, each with four sons and a daughter. We…

Picture this: I was soaking in the panorama of emerald mountain peaks framing the blue waters of Lake Amatitlán in Guatemala, where my friend and her groom were kicking off their wedding festivities with friends, food, and music. The event was exceptional, but I was feeling off. An unease had…

In March, I was blessed to go on a mission with my 81-year-old mother, my 14-year-old daughter, Marisa, and two other moms and their girls. We arrived in the stunningly beautiful Costa Rica and spent a week in a small village nestled in the mountains, where we visited the homebound,…

Two friends and I recently left the warmth of Texas to brave the snow and freezing temperatures of Kansas, where the three of us have sons at Benedictine College. The campus hosts a mother-son (and father-daughter) event, with a cocktail hour, a fine dinner, and a dance. It was a…

My son Anthony, who’s a senior in college majoring in accounting, recently told me, “I would’ve chosen to go to medical school if I didn’t think I had a short life expectancy.” His words stopped me in my tracks. Anthony is one of my three children who are living…

Like many American homes in January, our household is working to change habits. We’ve decided to take on the challenge of purging our diets of sugar, gluten, and highly processed foods. At the moment, four of us in the house are prepared to embrace clean eating, but only one of…

I grew up in a missionary family, and we were constantly moving. By the time I was in the fourth grade, we’d lived in six different countries. Moving around the world, experiencing new cultures, and interacting with all kinds of people were formative for me. I love travel, adventure, and…

My oldest sons, twins Michael and Anthony, have Fabry disease. Their symptoms have been present since childhood, but back then, we didn’t know that Fabry was the culprit. The boys’ health issues became more pronounced during their tumultuous teen years, leading to genetic testing for our…

Note: This column describes the experiences of the author’s children with various enzyme replacement therapies. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. “Straight Paths With Crooked Lines,” my column, describes the VanVickle family’s journey with Fabry disease,…

The sizzle of burgers on backyard grills, the plop of fishing lures cast into lake waters, and the crack of the home run ball are sounds announcing “summer is here!” Across America, ballparks, amusement parks, zoos, lakes, forests, and beaches are coming alive as people brave the beating sun to…