ARRIVING HOME
What I found myself worrying about often in the years before becoming a mother was that motherhood would draw me far away from myself. But the most pleasant gift the experience has given me has been arriving home.
My son is about to turn one, and I am reminded of the approaching milestone often now, in this season we are in. I feel like I know him well now. I know what makes him light up. I know what activities he is less thrilled about, like diaper changes and after-meal face wipes. I know what he is eager to climb up on, even following his parent’s gentle warnings. Now, it is me I am working on getting to know.
Read MoreBut it wasn’t until she’d gathered with her family again, a few days following their arrival back home, that another part of the story was revealed, weaving all its truths together, and revealing the deeper mystery. That’s the key to telling a good story, I think; you reveal just enough to ignite the imagination.
Read MoreLately, I’ve made a point to take my walks around the neighborhood during golden hour, when the brightest leaves glow as they twirl off from their branches. I would never forgive myself if I let a season go by without making a point to experience this magic. That’s the beauty of this season, I think. Its magic feels urgent.
Read MoreOnce I’ve committed to an outdoor project, I usually venture back inside a dirt-covered warrior after a hard-fought battle. But walking by the unruly vines in my backyard was a reminder of all the things I hadn’t yet gotten to. Anxiety can work like this in me. It creeps in and settles into the corners of my mind until I have no choice but to take care of it.
Read MoreMy daily gratitude practice now often includes a thankfulness for trees and flowers, sunrises and sunsets. I will forever remember the people, the things, and the opportunities that were lost because of this pandemic. But I will also try, in these bright days just past summer solstice, to remember the wisdom and insight to be gained from it, too.
Read MoreI’ve been feeling it in waves in recent weeks: a sort of ever-present self-doubt and tendency to second-guess that is crippling my friends, and myself. I’m tired of decision fatigue and of the pressure, put on others and on ourselves. So let's all go into this weekend and new month intending to show as much kindness to ourselves as we set out to show to others. The world is hard enough as it is.
Read More
