While I exhale, I miss the gentle smiles of empathy from fellow weary travelers on this parenting road. I miss the community acknowledgment of the passage of time, no matter how short, no matter how small an accomplishment may seem.
Today has cleats and crafts instead of highchairs, carpools and Minecraft instead of playgroups. God willing, tomorrow will have varsity sports and driver’s tests, followed by packed bags and first jobs.
“If I leave the ingredients and a twenty on your porch, can you make dinner for my family?” “Well, sure!” I responded, glad to see my friend’s relieved look. He was the oldest of four boys, whose wise mother required her sons to cook each weeknight. My friend, all the wiser, decided to outsource his … [Read more…]
The length of a shopping cart seems like enough distance. I wait outside in the crisp March air, as a line snakes around the Costco entrance. The store doesn’t open for another 20 minutes; this seems foreboding at best. A stream of texts ping through on my phone, and while most of them are forgotten … [Read more…]
The orthodontist walked confidently into our small space, outfitted in goggles, mask, and face shield. Even behind all the protective equipment, he seemed to be smiling. “Tell me something that is bringing you joy in the midst of virtual school.” The sassy side of my brain kicked in, as it frequently does when I am … [Read more…]
My frustration reached the point where, instead of trying to protect our time, I was becoming almost aggressively defensive of our daily lives. I wouldn’t let anything, or worse, anyone, into our world who threatened to knock the cards down.
Earlier this year, a friend, just shy of bringing home baby #3, asked me a question I know I’ve asked myself on more than one occasion: “Am I crazy to have more than two children?” I was startled at first, mostly because our little town is packed with large families. But then I returned right … [Read more…]
I can still hear her voice, all these years later, as I watch my daughters learn the give and take of our most vital relationships, around their Gran’s table.
When I started writing on this platform about a year ago, it was my hope to integrate what I’ve learned at the hospital bedside as a nursing instructor with the lessons I’m learning as I raise my daughters. As an instructor, I have the opportunity to work with students from all walks of life, but … [Read more…]
As we were packing for a trip to Disney World last month, I had that constant feeling of being unsettled, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on why. The day we left, it finally clicked. My husband called me, attempting to pack up one car while I sat in the carpool line to get … [Read more…]