I am completely alone in my house for the next four days. Well, there is a dog and a cat here but for the next 96 hours there are no other beings in this household that require my attention. I haven't been alone in my house for this length of time in over four years. … Continue reading On parenting in the dark.
self-care
The education of a lifetime: Karen Maezen Miller on Motherhood, Meditation and Anger
Karen Maezen Miller is a Zen priest and author of Momma Zen: Walking the Crooked Path of Motherhood, Hand Wash Cold and Paradise in Plain Sight. I have written before about her profound book, Momma Zen, and how it inspired me more than any other parenting text I have ever come across. And this interview by … Continue reading The education of a lifetime: Karen Maezen Miller on Motherhood, Meditation and Anger
The only true thing.
A couple months ago I got this message from the Universe (yup, one of those). The message was that I needed to get start getting up earlier. Now, let me tell you what the big deal is about getting up early. I have this kid, you see. This sweet, wily, hilarious and over-the-top crazy little human who controls my … Continue reading The only true thing.
Mantras for Real Parents
Today I am reposting an article from Shawn Fink of abundantmama.com. I have come across this a couple of times in the last two years and it is simply one of those posts that is worth coming back to again and again. Just...scroll... it's so worth the read. Oh and by the way - these … Continue reading Mantras for Real Parents
Mama needs space – or else!
It is getting harder and harder to practice in the morning with my now two-year old... because well, he's TWO and its pretty much hard to do anything you want to do for more than 5 consecutive minutes or risk potentially hazardous situation. I mean, could just open the back door and set him free in the … Continue reading Mama needs space – or else!
What’s the Story (Morning Glory)?
Somehow I've shifted tracks. Like a train headed in one direction but that somewhere along the way began the subtle veer toward the right until on a different track completely. It's so easy to do. And when I finally notice, it seems I've traveled so far off course that some drastic action is needed to … Continue reading What’s the Story (Morning Glory)?
Fruit.
And this is how it happens. I stand in the kitchen while my child violently shakes the bars of the safety gate 4 feet away, letting loose the death scream that would at the very least cause the neighbors question my parental competency, if not draw a hungry mountain lion down from the hills. It's … Continue reading Fruit.
Show Up for Yourself.
Kids eventually graduate from infancy and toddlerhood but the demands of parenthood (and life) don’t go away. They simply change with time. We indubitably place our children’s needs to be fed, bathe, be changed and comforted in the middle of the night at the cost of our own hunger, hygiene or sleep. We derive great … Continue reading Show Up for Yourself.
We can do hard things.
Today, Grant me the courage to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. This prayer saves me over and over. It reminds me of the power of acceptance and the power of choice I always have within any circumstance. Sometimes it … Continue reading We can do hard things.
Begin where you are.
Prior to the birth of my child, I had a semi-regular meditation practice. Fifteen months later, emerging out of the primitive trenches of early motherhood I stepped blinking back into the rest of the world and I felt a little unsure of where I had left myself along the way. How does a parent find … Continue reading Begin where you are.
uncharted ground 