real, raw motherhood
It’s not about what we produce but what we’ve accomplished. That’s what we’re left with at the end of the day” Chris Bailey– as heard in an interview by Claire Diaz-Ortiz– Work By Design Summit Every morning I put away the clean dishes. Every day I’m asked: what’s for breakfast? What’s for lunch? What’s for…
It started 18 months ago. January 13th 2015, 2 days before my husband’s birthday. He was scheduled for his yearly colonoscopy. Ulcerative Colitis is a condition that he’d suffered from since he was a teenager but had remained nameless most of his life. With the right medications, everything was under control and had been for…
I recently wrote about “not taking No for an answer”. I don’t like to hear other people tell me NO. But I’ve learned that telling myself No serves me well. By denying myself in the short term, I earn the greatest rewards: long term happiness, fulfillment and self confidence. Discipline is the foundation of a…
Dear child, You’ve just turned one. In the past twelve months, you have learned so much. You are so interested in the world. You’re a keen observer. You’re patient. You’re gentle. You’re adorable. When you smile, the sun shines a bit brighter. Everything you do amazes us. I wonder what your future holds. I have…
Charlotte’s web by E.B White is the first chapter book I read to my daughter last year. A first for both of us. Since I didn’t grow up in America, I have not read the American classics and oh my, it has been delightful to discover them. Charlotte’s web is, in my book (pun intended),…
My sister’s boyfriend, Muller, was intent on introducing me to a martial artist who was visiting Reunion Island to teach a series of seminars. I looked at the flyer he handed me, unimpressed. “I don’t like guys with long hair”, I said when I saw the mullet the man in the photo sported. “He’s a…
After a lifetime of a strained relationship, five years ago I severed ties with the woman who gave birth to me and raised me. I don’t call her mom since she’s never behaved like one. We live oceans apart and she came for an extended stay at my house when my daughter was eight months…
Dear new mama, I am only a few years ahead of you in this amazing journey of motherhood. I still hold more questions than answers but I’ve learned a few things. New mothers receive much unsolicited advice that range from the very useful to the very annoying. You probably noticed this already during your pregnancy.…
People often ask why I chose to homeschool our 6 year old daughter. This week we conclude Kindergarten. It’s a good time to answer that question. I homeschool because I can. It’s a simple yet powerful reason. All of us who live in this great country have the freedom to choose how we educate our…
How do you react when someone tells you NO? I don’t like hearing it. Never have. Never will. Last year, my husband needed surgery. He decided to undergo the procedures at a major Hospital on the west coast where one of the best surgeons had operating privileges. We traveled as a family with our five…