The kids' growth is obvious; they are taller, shorter hair, faces more angular. Their growth is also measured by the words they can read, the math problems they can complete, and the facts they can tell me about the solar system, dinosaurs, and the oceans. And then there's their teacher: in the first picture she is the sleep-deprived, caring for an infant, stressed-out, 2020-version of herself. In today's picture she looks more refreshed; the baby is a year old now and a great sleeper. There are still hard decisions to be made, but she's moving confidently forward in her choices rather than ruminating on the alternatives. This year at home with Mom might be a little blip on the timelines of my kids' lives, but the bonus time with them has been an unexpected blessing (and challenging time of refinement) for me.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
"A few months after my daughter lost her first tooth, out came a second tooth, which led to a second visit from the Tooth Fairy and a pair of milk teeth in my jewelry box. 'I don't really know why I'm keeping them,' I confessed to my husband. 'I just can't bring myself to throw them away.' I laughed, knowing that someday my daughter would probably tell me to trash them anyway, just as I had done with my own mom. Would it be any easier to part with them when she's an adult? or when I have a jewelry box full of baby teeth from three kids? What was I going to do with all of these baby teeth?"⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
baby toes, walks before the heat sneaks in, an old dog who still has some pep in her step, conversations with the neighborhood birds, mountain views, streets lined with palm trees, & neighbors who wave back ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I've been seeing the word "rest" pop up a lot lately - in articles, social media posts, podcast episodes, books - and it feels like someone is nudging me & prompting me to pay attention. So I'm trying. Last night, I left the laundry unfolded (for probably the third night in a row), set my writing aside, and snuggled up with Lucy on the couch. I ate an entire bowl of popcorn, watched two episodes of Downton Abbey, and read a book in bed. If others are writing and talking about rest so much, I can't be the only one needing the push...so, if you are feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or experiencing burnout (who isn't after the year we've all had?), please consider this your personal nudge to just...rest. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
