Learning to live a more intentional life
“Do you see me as a safe haven or a scary place?” I asked my little love. My husband had just started to tell me about an incident on the playground when this love stopped him and begged him not to continue.
“A safe haven” was the matter of fact reply.
I slowly exhaled in relief.
Continue reading “From Bouff to Buff”
I’d like to think that people don’t set out to be dishonest. It’s probably not true in some instances, but I still like to think that this is a general rule.
I’m sure that the word ‘dishonesty’ immediately connotes thoughts of malice, deceit and fraud, but this isn’t always the case. I’m learning that the opposite of honesty isn’t always dishonesty per se.
Sometimes, it’s fear.
Continue reading “Can I be honest?”
Have you ever felt like less than enough?
Perhaps you know where you want to go. You’ve taken a few small steps but the road ahead seems long.
Continue reading “Still a Work of Art”
“We can’t live in lockdown forever”, I said in a recent conversation with my grandmother. As soon as I uttered the words, however, I realised the depth of that statement, and just how wrong I could be.
Continue reading “Self-imposed Lockdown”
An unexpected result of staying home for the last few months has been the growing list of minor repairs to be done around the house. While each item on the list is negligible on its own, all of the items together demonstrate a comprehensive account of reasonable wear and tear. None particularly noticeable. All glaringly obvious the longer we stay indoors.
Continue reading “Life Lessons from a Closet Door”
I have long resisted the idea of a ‘new normal’. I hate that phrase. It conjures up images of restricted movement, masks and touch-free living.
Nevertheless, ‘a new normal’ has become a part of ‘our new vocabulary’…which is another story.
Continue reading “A New Normal”
It’s the one message that we’ve heard over and over in so many ways: Stay inside. Shelter in place. Quarantine. Self-isolate. In essence: Stay within the boundaries of your home.
Staying home, however, doesn’t mean having nothing to do for many of us. Staying home, in fact, has brought with it an enormous workload, both physical and emotional. From cleaning constantly used spaces to preparing meals. From supervising school work to taking work calls. From preserving our children’s sense of security to committing financial concerns to fervent prayer. The list is overwhelming.
This is not a complaint. This is a fact.
And whereas the mandate is to stay within the boundaries of your home, I wonder whether this advice should be construed as more than literal.
Continue reading “Boundary Lines”
I’m sitting in the kids’ room reflecting on just how much has changed in a short space of time. This very room, which has only ever been a place of rest, has recently become a classroom of sorts.
Our school term resumed last week and our school has embarked upon the unimaginable task of teaching online. Call it ‘homeschooling’. Call it ‘distance learning’. Call it what you will. This has been an adjustment, to say the least.
Continue reading “This is Different”
I’ve lost count of what day of the ‘stay-at-home’ order this is.
The kids have been on Easter break and so we have had a reprieve from the schoolwork. I am truly grateful for this. In fact, the things for which I am becoming grateful are surprising. Things like shorter than usual lines to get into the grocery. Things like finding handsoap on the shelf. Things like having enough leftovers to give the kitchen a rest for a day…or two.