Give Them Time to Unload
Today, my friend reminds me that I need to give my daughters time to unload the burdens of their day. They hold so much in, so at some point, they want to talk about everything. This means I sit there, completely available to listen and support. I don’t schedule anything but listening time. I picture […]
The Only Cure for Envy
I used to think that shame was the most tormenting of human emotions, but lately I’ve observed the way envy causes unimaginable misery. With envy in our hearts, we lose happiness, security, and well-being. We focus on the prosperity of others so much that we cannot see the blessings in our own lives. Envy is a […]
The Unexpected Outcome
Everybody needs a good dose of unexpected outcomes to spice up the day. It’s a form of situational irony to have something happen that’s definitely not supposed to. On the walk to school, a father plays a song for the children called, “Before I Could Rhyme” by Songdrops. The writer cannot rhyme, so every line that’s […]
Hearts Set on Pilgrimage
This morning, I read in Psalm 84:6, “Blessed are those whose strength is in [God], whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they regard it as a place of springs.” I learn that the Valley of Baca is the valley of weeping. It’s a metaphor for desolation and […]
Asking Moms What They Want
Sometimes when you ask a mother what she really wants, she can’t answer you. She’s not used to thinking of herself like this. She’s not used to considering her own desires. It might seem selfish and wasteful to her, so you need to persevere. Or she might feel lost, as if she’s forgotten who she […]
3 Ways to Recover When Things Fall Apart
We journey into the Weeping Cherry to check on the beautiful eggs. Something’s not right; the birds have fled and we see fragments of those precious eggs all over the ground. A predator–maybe a squirrel, a bluejay, or a chipmunk–has feasted on our eggs. The girls hold a little funeral. I begin asking questions. I […]
My Favorite School-Yard Goodbye
This morning, my Very Philosophical 5th Grade Friend asks me what I blogged about today. This question happens regularly at 8:15 AM. Every morning, I tell him I haven’t blogged because nothing’s happened yet. He still asks. He still wonders if something amazing happened to have happened in the time I woke up and walked […]
When You Stop Forcing Things
Today, one of the Italian Mamas tells me that you can’t force things. If I’m trying too hard, I need to step back. “You have to think of certain things (especially mysterious things like creativity, romance, joy) like you’re chasing a butterfly. You really can’t chase a butterfly. You have to let it find you.” I […]
10 of the Greatest Last Lines in Literature
On the walk to school, my third grade writing friend asks me what to do if she can’t figure out how to end her story. “I don’t just want to write, And they lived happily ever after.” Another friend adds in, “Or what about, And they were never heard from again? That’s bad, but it’s […]
It’s Sort of Awkward
My youngest daughter shares the incredible news: The classroom eggs have hatched! “Wow! What was it like?” I ask. I’ve never actually seen anything hatch before–at least I can’t remember that I have. I imagine it’s very fast. A few taps, and then the duck just comes out. That’s how I want it to be. […]