Category: Parenting
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Hugs from Jackie
We have had a rough year. Actually the last three years were rough all in all. The moment we adopted Ivy, things changed. I was more tired, and she, my first daughter, pulled away. She never showed resentment toward the young sister. She adapted and tried. I also noticed her scoliosis the month after Ivy…
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About finding things
I built a reputation of finding hard to find things ever since I was a kid. My grandma also asked me to always thread the needle ”because you have good eyes” she said. I would carry the water because I was strong. I would gather the wood for fire because I was nimble. I now…
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Work through the difficulty
An actor was sharing the lessons he learned in his debut years. Trying to enter into an audition, the door was blocked by a chair. He poked his head in and said: excuse me. I can’t begin my number. There’s a chair in the way. To which he got the replay: “work through the difficulty.…
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At capacity
We live with no margin. Even if I save some space, mental, physical, on the clock, it has become the space where I dump last minute requests, needs, plan changes. So while I get high on the success of fitting everything in just right, then I crash into the realization that this is not sustainable.…
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Compassion and curiosity
Most often I don’t feel compelled to share out loud, as words come out irreverent, botched, inadequate, but sometimes i feel I am left with words on the tip of my tongue. So I’ll spill them here to free myself. This is how I open the door to join in the feast. I have learned…
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Am I the only one overwhelmed?
I posted a story on instagram, after weeks of radio silence, a picture of the traffic I was stuck in on my way home, stating that I feel life is unbearable with the absurd chase of appointments, and circumstances of life in this season. The road in constriction, music school as an extracurricular activity and…
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Marathon days
I left, on a brisk Wednesday morning, to take Ivy to school. We get going at 7:15 because we may hit traffic. One never knows for sure. Since school started I also restarted swimming. It keeps me sane and fresh. It helps me have energy. So I did that too. I went swimming and warmed…
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Happiness through built confidence
Happiness is feeling useful, capable, independent. We cater to our kids and making this easy for them and in return rob them of the satisfaction of knowing they can do Jh are things. My almost preteen daughter can be moody, and it worries me as these are not the hormones. It is purely contextual. Everything…
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The cost of raising kids
On a warm summer day, we were sitting on the sidewalk with the other moms, talking about having kids. And how many kids is manageable financially. Many parents I know took their kids to private kindergartens and private schools, which cost more money than we spend on a monthly basis. When we paid off our…
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Invitation
It’s Sunday morning. I hear a knock on the door. Rufus hears it too and barks his head off. He gets really worked up when someone’s at the door. Extreme enthusiasm. We don’t get visitors at the door often. But when we do, it’s the neighborhood kids. Conrad jokingly said: any kid that shows up…
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First school week is over
“This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult—once we truly understand and accept it—then life is no longer difficult. Because once it has been accepted, the fact that life is…
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Simple rules
After I had a good conversation with Jackie about decision making and empowering her to try, to step forward, to decide for herself many of the daily choices, because I trust her judgement and I believe she will make mostly good decisions, the next day I softened my passion, added some creativity and told ivy…