I enjoyed soaking up the start of summer with some extra time to spend with my family as well as additional time to relax. I found myself reading more, laughing more, and even sleeping more soundly. In the blink of an eye, the month was over. As I transitioned into July, I thought about a reflection practice that I learned from a favorite author of mine, Emily P. Freeman.
I thought of how real my dreams felt at that time and how I still, to this day, don’t think they were wrong, they just didn’t stay right. Which leads to my conclusion that more than one dream can be real, more than one dream can be the right, AND dreams can and will change.
Then one evening in February, after a record-setting 60 degree day, I was getting ready for bed when my phone rang... Right in the middle of our mild winter was a good old-fashioned North Dakota blizzard!
That even in the midst of endings there is still the hope and excitement that accompanies beginnings. At times the changes have felt a lot like leaving a portion of my heart, with the memories attached, to specific buildings, schools, jobs. But, isn’t that part of life? That we leave a little footprint behind on all of the places we go. And yet, there always seems to be enough left to begin again.
Parenting can be so brutal, like a child asserting their independence, harshly declaring “I don’t want to snuggle and read with you.” Or so beautiful, like a child expressing their appreciation through a simple “I love you.” It’s a bittersweet journey.
Although Christmas celebrations will look different than years past, the beauty, sounds, and tastes of the holidays remind me of life before the upheaval of 2020. In addition, I have found comfort in the celebration of Jesus’s birth and the reminder that 2020 is just a drop in the bucket of time.
I can’t enjoy every single minute of the day. I can, however, enjoy moments, even small ones, throughout the day.
He looked straight at me and kindly but firmly said, “You are never ‘just a.’”
As we celebrated moms yesterday, and anticipate celebrating dads next month, I reflected on my own journey of parenting and how my expectations and anticipations have been thrown off course. There is a lot to love about being a parent, and a lot of awesomeness that comes from kids. However, there are sides to parenting …
Another round of birthdays is currently in full swing at my house. As I prepared gifts, cakes, and decorations to celebrate my kids’ birthdays and make their days special, I reflected on my own birthday and how the past few have been filled with unexpecteds. I don’t usually make a big deal out of my …
the unexpected ever afters 