Category: Parenting
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What is my Theology?
One day, my daughters may look back at my life, and be strengthened in their faith. Yesterday Jackie joined me in my quest to stir things up, to inquire, to move stones out of the less traveled path. What do I have to give to these girls? Not much by the standards of this world.…
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Letter to my youngest
My sweet younger daughter, Whom I haven’t met yet, but my heart knows you. My prayers are not in vain. Your heart is precious. Your life matters. I pray with passion For our reunion And in the same breath I submit my dream to God; May His perfect will be done In His perfect timing.…
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The power of words.
What example do we set for the vulnerable, set to imitate, easily impressionable ones? Do we pray for wisdom in our old age? Or we feel we lived enough to humble ourselves and open ourselves to correction and guidance from Above? Kids play. And they use in their play bits and pieces of words they…
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After ROM
I’ve lost steam in the past. I got discouraged as things didn’t change or people didn’t respond as I had hoped they would. Aware of the difference in my enthusiasm and vision as I return from a couple of inspiring conferences, and the outcome of my attempts to do something, I started small and I…
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Pine cones and pastries
The forest is my fatherWhere we walkAnd he taught meOf his FatherThe peace and the beautyReflected for usAs His cathedralWe pray as we walkTogether and aloneBut not really alone Like him I come to communeWith the world and with GodTo give up my problems To focus on the detailsAnd the big picture The distractions of life fadedThrough…
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Ohrid
The tall mountains of Macedonia are rolling stubbornly in the clouds. There’s a blue haze of heat and humidity layering the peaks, in darker and lighter shades. We left Ohrid. Jackie is sleeping, dreaming of hugs and laughter. She has adopted an army of aunts and uncles. She has had memorable connections and conversations, has…
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About mom
Studying Jacob’s life this last week, we first looked at the father perspective. The next day, we studied then introspected about our own mothers. We were asked with clever insight, to name the first three words that describe our dad, or mom, and three words that describe our relationship with them. These words were our…
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My dad
We spent the week at Lacu Rosu in the mountains, in fellowship and studying the life of Jacob. This year did not unfold as we anticipated. We were thinking we would embark early on, on the adoption adventure, being drawn body and soul to the-grafting-of-lives process. God had other plans. We left behind computers and…
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Optimism & Altruism
Two essential qualities in parenting. We come into marriage with an average dose of altruism. Whatever we’ve witnessed growing up, and how we’ve been challenged to get involved in the family life or in our community. Self-sacrifice gives forth its fruit over time, so it has nothing to do with instant gratification. Unless we got…
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Full members
I live intuitively. And sometimes I believe it’s not half bad. On the contrary. The wisdom of relationships and of parenting is deeply seeded in us. It’s just that sometimes I need to know why I do what I do. To rationally justify my choices and to solidify them. I learned from a psychologist who,…
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Membri cu drepturi depline
Trăiesc intuitiv. Și uneori cred că nici nu-i asa rău. Dimpotrivă. Înțelepciunea relațiilor și a parentajului sunt adânc semănate în noi. Doar că uneori am nevoie să știu de ce fac ceea ce fac. Pentru a-mi putea justifica rațional alegerile și a le solidifica. Am aflat de la un psiholog care de 30 de ani…
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Rules of engagement
Mom, my friend tried to choke me. Did he succeed? No. But… Ask him to never do that again. And please don’t tattletale. OK. [5 minutes later] Mom, my friend didn’t let me speak at all. So I couldn’t ask him to not choke me anymore. [he was now present, visibly embarrassed] Ok. Let’s set…