real, raw motherhood
Every Christmas, I order a personalized ornament with a photo of our daughter that represents the past year. In the process, I usually take a moment to look at the many wonderful snapshots of our little girl. The curls. The chubby cheeks. The twinkly eyes and dimpled smiles. So adorable. This year, however, the photos…
My husband always cites my ability to change as my superpower. How ironic that when we navigated the ups and downs of our first years of marriage, I kept proclaiming: “This is who I am! I can’t change!” There’s no mystery as to why I thought that. I had been raised in a culture that…
Today’s Valentine’s day and my planner’s journaling prompt read: “What type of love is most important to you?”. As much as I value the romantic love that joins me to my husband and the maternal love that bonds me to my daughter, self-love is what I find most important. Not ego. Not vanity. Self-Love. Forgiveness.…
Last week was my birthday. I turned 42. Here is a list of 42 things I’ve learned so far (in no particular order). 1: Do not buy whipped cream or dark chocolate chips in bulk size at Costco. 2: There are more good people than bad ones. 3: Nagging is pointless. 4: Life’s weird so…
Next week is one of celebration. I’m turning 42 and my blog will be two years old. Two years of faithful writing. Two years of publishing an essay a week. Two years of sitting down in front of the screen, equipped with a keyboard and the willingness to give a voice to the bouncing thoughts…
My husband’s father just passed away. He had been married 65 years. He had 4 children, 5 grandchildren and 1 great-grand child. What a great legacy! He would have been 84 next month and though it’s still sad, it’s a lot easier to say goodbye to someone who’s had a long productive life. Unfortunately death…
I pushed for four and half hours before I could hold her in my arms and yet my labor didn’t stop then. The real work had only begun. Mothering is hard work. Daily work. Patient work. Challenging work. Rewarding work. A child and a mother were born on the same day in that hospital room…
To my friend who’s turning 40 and might struggle a bit with the idea… Lean in, I’ve got a secret to tell you: “I’ve been on the other side for a year now and it’s great! Promised! You’ve got this sister. I know it.” 40 comes with a special super power: the ability to see…
Last Wednesday, I started my Mommy day off with a wonderful yoga class. Afterwards I hopped in the car to grab lunch. I was stopped at a red light when I heard a loud crashing noise. Looking in my rearview mirror, I saw a girl and her moped trapped under a van. She was on…
I will be 41 next week. Some people dread getting older. I don’t. I’ve been blessed with another year of living; breathing; feeling; loving. I don’t begrudge the deeper lines on my forehead nor the multiplying gray strands that stand out in my dark hair because the alternative is really not that appealing, wouldn’t you…