Just some scenes from a random day this past week when the sun was actually shining…enough with the rain and snow(?!?!), already!
Just some scenes from a random day this past week when the sun was actually shining…enough with the rain and snow(?!?!), already!
{this moment} – A Friday ritual, inspired by SouleMama. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
My little girl, who I suppose is not so little anymore, turned eight years old yesterday. Something about eight was more painful than past birthdays. For awhile, it’s exciting as they hit those milestones; walking, talking, running, playing. Then, you start to realize that time is only flowing in one direction and there’s no way to go back. There’s no way to take an eight year old and make her tiny enough to hold in your arms ever again.
A birthday ring.
My daughter was born when I was only twenty-two, and I was certainly not ready to be a parent. I always loved her, desperately loved her, but I have to say that I didn’t really know what I was doing. Still, she has been my greatest teacher, and her patience has more than made up for my lack of parenting skills.
A new skateboard!
And, the good news is that nothing is ever broken; nothing is ever beyond repair. We make mistakes as parents every single day. We are human, after all. But, as long as the love is there, I believe it will all be okay in the end. I used to think it was a cruel joke that the universe had chosen to give such a bright and beautiful child a mother who knew absolutely nothing about how to raise her. Now, I think that maybe it was just the match we both needed.
Making a wish . . .
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A world in which time is absolute is a world of consolation. For while the movements of people are unpredictable, the movement of time is predictable . . . Each person knows that somewhere is recorded the moment she was born, the moment she took her first step, the moment of her first passion, the moment she said goodbye to her parents.
From Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman
Happy Birthday to my sweet, sweet Lillia. It seems almost impossible to believe it’s been eight years since I first met those wide, wondering eyes of yours. And yet, here we are. In the past year you endured many changes; a new school, a new house, and a new baby brother. You have done it all with grace. I have so much to learn from you, and I love you so much.
There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,
The earth, and every common sight
To me did seem
Apparelled in celestial light,
The glory and the freshness of a dream.
~ William Wordsworth
I grew up in Keene, NH (not far from where I live now), and one of my hometown’s claims to fame is their its annual pumpkin festival. Starting in 1992, Keene began having a yearly “harvest festival,” which they called the Pumpkin Festival (it even has its own Wikipedia page!) Its main purpose was to achieve the lofty goal of having the most jack-o-lanterns lit in one place at one time. For many years, they achieved this, basically unrivaled. However, other towns eventually tried their hand at the task and Keene lost the record to Boston in 2006.
This yearly event has personal meaning to our family because my daughter was born on Pumpkin Festival weekend in 2003, the last year Keene took the world record. We dropped off our pumpkins that Friday night, but never got to see them lit because I went into labor shortly after we got home! Every year my mother carves a “birthday pumpkin” for my daughter.
Sadly, the event has become so popular that it’s no longer very enjoyable to go at night. It’s disappointing that I can’t bring my children to see the lit pumpkins, but most years there is upwards of 50,000 people crammed on Keene’s little Main Street, so it’s probably downright dangerous to bring little ones there in the dark.
But, we still have fun going during the day. My daughter likes to march in the parade, so this year we went as Cruella de Vil (me) and two dalmation puppies. We had a good time, and the littlest puppy slept through the entire event.
