Cathartic journaling of an adoptive mom.
Latest Posts
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sharing bravely
They chose well for each other. In many ways inspiring me with their maturity and self-awareness, and well as ease in friendships and strong faith. I don’t like giving advice, but as their god parents I have asked for permission to share the things that I wished someone shared with me before I got married.…
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tagging along
Sometimes I think my daughter can compartmentalize better than me. She probably can, as she has fewer boxes to sort. There is this sweet spot of nearly teen, where loyalty and attraction and simplicity meet. Of all the people who expressed an interest in her, she likes only one, in a very nonchalant, relaxed way.…
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Chinteni forest hike
My first hikes were with my grandmother in the field, in Piatra Neam Prim, with a dig on the shoulder. At the same time Conrad went with Boy Scouts (Scouts) in Vermont. And yet our paths crossed, and now we wander together through Transylvania. On the eve of the holiday, we took the time to…
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Be curious
When she comes to me wide eyed, worrying that something is wrong with her feelings, I smile and tell her to slow down & observe her emotions. It may be my saving grace, to have this insatiable hunger to understand, and the difficult-to-manage feelings become tame, as I look at them with wide eyes and…
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Little humans in our likeness
I did not give birth to my children, but with every conversation and day spent together, we shape their character, values and competence. They accuse me of bias when I use overwhelming words of affirmation, and I praise them, or acknowledge how wonderful they are. But I never say things I don’t mean. Kind words…
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Family hike
It is how we enjoy nature at a slow pace and let our minds unwind. It is how we connect, shoulder to shoulder, and we build endurance, physical and mental. I love the girls resilience and positive attitude even when it’s ridiculously hard to continue to put one foot in front of another. Conrad longs…
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Perception of self
An honest X-ray of the relationshipAwakened to what meets the eyeBeauty. Restraint. Lust.Not knowing quite what to do with this assault of imageryBeauty perceivedRushed into the brainMaking camp Small at first but taking over Teenage brain unguardedCurious and hungry Go back to simple thingsCars and superficial conversationsBasic knowledge of the otherDistance and rest She pushed…
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Average
“Coasting the average life. Made comfortable by the parents.” We function motivated by our own experiences and often times we overcompensate. I usually lay down the facts in front of us. Without judgement. Without trying to manipulate emotionally. – This is how the world was when I was a teen. This is how I adapted…
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International couples
We are low-key people. Approachable as I like to believe. To our delight we discovered that so is the first international couple from our two churches. Our paths crossed many times, even when we lived in California, and they lived in Romania. Now their kids became adults. Brilliant young women. And we traded places. We…
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Hospitable to teenage guests
How hard can it be? But also: how impactful? Go the extra mile. The extra 10 miles in Cluj traffic towards Floresti. I was not planning to be out for so long. I jumped in the car to go get their luggage so they can go to the mall, but there was a mixup of…
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Words & confidence
Can you fabricate self-confidence? And if you could, would you do it? Talking about the past, as we sometimes do, I stop and tell Jackie: “Wow, what an interesting life you have!” To which she replies, matching my enthusiasm: “I know, right?” Our kids are not victims. They have agency. The way we relate to…
