When my first child was born back in 2005, I was ready. I had wanted a baby for a long time; I had spent my adolescence babysitting and working with children in all sorts of forums and formats; I had planned, read and thought about every aspect of my pregnancy, delivery, and the first days at home with baby. The …
Working Without a Net
As I write this, I’m babysitting my friends’ children. Now, before you send me heated emails or comments about how irresponsible I’m being, it’s late and the kids are all asleep. 😉 As I sit in the quiet, sipping my nice hot cuppa tea, I can’t help but reflect on how much life without a safety net can wear you …
The Mirrors in My House
We have a few mirrors strategically placed throughout the house. Bathroom, bedrooms, even the living room. However, there are two mirrors that I have been particularly aware of recently. They’re smaller; I have to stoop down to see in them fully, in fact. When I stop and look, I see my eyes, my smile, my slightly furrowed brow even though …
Feed Your Soul
I want to remember today. I want to circle it in red on my calendar. Program it into my phone. Set a reminder in my heart. Today. Is a good day. My soul has been fed. And perhaps not in the way you might expect. You see, I discovered a few years ago that I have a deep need for …
Help?! {Guest Posting at The Better Mom}
The pain was non-stop now as the contractions came one on top of another. I desperately needed to push, but the doctors said I couldn’t yet without risking damage to myself or the baby. I was really starting to rethink this whole “miracle of natural childbirth” thing, and I started to panic. I began to focus on the pain, fear, …
Raw
(alternate title for this post: Emotional Road Rash) Raw. Exposed. Sore. Tender. Burning. These words are my emotions soul this week. I am raw, exposed, and in pain. To say my emotions are raw seems like an understatement. My spirit has been scraped, the essence of who I am grated upon until the tender layers underneath are exposed to the …
Summer in Ireland
Summer in Ireland is a glorious time. The soft heat of the summer sun, greens so brilliant they are blinding, big burly truckers driving around with soft serve ice cream cones like kids at Christmas. Yes, summer in Ireland is glorious…except when it’s not… This is a taste of the post I have today on The Better Mom. Please head …
Unbridled Joy
We live in a small village in western Ireland – a small village. So small, in fact, that if you blink while driving through it you’ll miss it. We have a small grocery store, an elementary school, a secondary school, some small factories tucked away behind houses, a church and two pubs. That’s it. Whenever we need to shop for …
Fear vs. Love
Fear. Fear suffocates, deafens, blinds and paralyzes. Fear puts my well being ahead of yours. It tells those around me, “I am more important than you are.” Fear protects my feelings, my interests, my pride, my reputation. Fear lies, distorts, warps, and twists. It takes reality and makes it something unrecognizable, incoherent, and impure. It takes the things i know …
Playing Dress-Up
I used to love playing dress up. As a kid, some of my favorite dress up items were my mom’s things. Her mustard-yellow pleather jacket, any of her shoes, her kerchief she’d wear on her head when she would clean or play softball. I would spend hours daydreaming and making believe about having my own home, my own husband, my …