Are You Confident?
Confidence. I think about this word today because I read a story about a woman who changed her hair color. She became so much more confident. A silly thing–an external change–altered her perception of herself and influenced how she interacted with others. I look up the word. Confidence means you have assurance about yourself and […]
Your Fresh Start
This morning my daughter brings out her whiteboard easel and draws me a coconut palm. She says, “Mom, you will love this.” My coconut obsession has infiltrated my daughter’s imagination. She carefully chooses the right dry erase markers. A whiteboard offers the kind of freedom and mistake-proof activity just right for her age. Permanent errors […]
The Exploding Green Waffles and Why I’m Making Memories
I’m not crafty, imaginative, or even energetic when it comes to holidays. I wish I were a mom who decorated better, thought of more exciting traditions, and planned memorable and delicious meals. I’m not that kind of mom. But when it comes to children, even the tiniest (and I mean tiniest) efforts don’t go unnoticed. […]
A Very Public Failure for My Daughter
Yesterday, Barnes and Noble slates my daughter to perform a piano piece as part of a fundraiser for the Music Academy. Neighbors come, cameras focus, and parents beam. But when it is her turn to perform, my daughter bursts into tears and freezes. She cannot even approach the piano. Instead of forcing her onto the […]
Doing Everything Exactly Wrong
I’m reading a book to my daughter that mentions a bunny with a nose that wiggles. I learn that a bunny wiggles her nose for a very curious reason. It’s not to help her breathe, smell, or provide any obvious help. Apparently, a rabbit wiggles her nose only when she’s attentive. The more interested a […]
When You Feel Unstable
I’ve been walking a lot lately. This morning I woke up thinking about a quote from Oliver Wendall Holmes: Walking, then, is a perpetual falling with a perpetual self–recovery. It is a most complex, violent, and perilous operation. . . When I walk, I deliberately destabilize myself, catch myself with the next foot, and […]
The Best Definition of Courage
My daughter and I were talking about taking her training wheels off and learning to ride a bike. She became very quiet and said, “You know, Mom, little hills mean little boo-boos. And big hills mean big boo-boos.” I said, “So I guess you want to avoid the big hills on your bike.” She paused […]