Finding Comfort in the Chaos
There’s a famous quote that says “your home is your sanctuary.” I’d like to think that’s the case, but often times my home is far from the peaceful connotation that brings to mind. There are days when it feels like pure chaos. Toys strewn all over the floor, Legos clutter every conceivable surface in my […]
Oops! Learning from our Mistakes
As a parent, I’ll admit that I’m scared of my children making mistakes. Of course there are different levels of mistakes, ranging from minor inconveniences to the catastrophic. So I guess it’s more the catastrophic kinds that I’m referring to. The kinds of events that could jeopardize their future. I have friends in the neighborhood […]
Double Digits & Holding onto Childhood
My daughter turned 10 last week. I tried to make it special―after all, it is a milestone. For starters, it’s double digits. Never again in her lifetime will her age be a single number. It’s also closer to the teenage years. It may seem like she’s far from that because we’ve still got three years […]
Postcards From Camp
Wow! I can’t believe that I haven’t posted since January. Eek. There isn’t a particular reason for my silence. I’ve just been focused on other things and my writing has fallen to the wayside. I miss it. It felt good to sit back down with my thoughts for company. Like an old friend who you […]
A Working Mom’s Perspective: Why I Couldn’t Have it All
It’s hard to believe that after 17 years with my agency, today was my last. I’ve decided to stay at home so I can spend more time with my family. It’s a bittersweet decision as I love agency life and my career is a big part of my identity. But being a working mom is […]
What’s Mine is Yours
The other night I was listening to Pandora while I was making dinner. I don’t listen to music on my commute aside from a brief car ride, but it keeps me company while I’m doing dishes, making lunches—essentially any chore that’s on tap once my kids are in bed. All of a sudden, a song I was enjoying […]
Giving Thanks
Thanksgiving is coming at a perfect time this year. Work has been extremely busy so I’m looking forward to some much needed time with my family. I work part-time but lately it feels like a full-time job. There aren’t many part-time positions at my company, and I know that I’m lucky they are willing to […]
Patience is a Virtue
I once heard someone say that Chicago has very aggressive pedestrians, and it’s true. I was walking to work yesterday from the train station and paused at the crosswalk because the light was about to change. A young guy decided to cross the street at the last minute but didn’t make it through the crosswalk before […]
Boy Wonder
I recently finished reading the book Wonder by RJ Palacio. It’s an inspiring story about a boy, August, with a facial deformity who is starting public school for the first time at ten years old. It’s a great lesson in empathy, loyalty, and above all, kindness. While I was about halfway through the book I […]
A Scary Swimming Lesson
I remember there was an article circulating on Facebook last summer about secondary drowning. It scared the crap out of me. My daughter, Maddie, is in her second summer at camp and they have free swim twice a week. She’s been in lessons since she was young because I want to make sure she not […]