Awake My Soul

It is days like these that I wonder where to begin...when so much has passed that to compress them into a little box and present them with ribbons seems an earnest yet still insufficient way to share. I have missed this space, but my days have been full, offering me enchanting views inside and out, views that keep me spellbound with the life that is mine

I am still not immune to the questions of relevance beyond mother or wife, and these hauntings are with  me wherever I go lately. I suppose I am not ready for the answers right now as they remain elusive and mysterious at best. Glimpses of opportunities that may lie ahead swirl around me like the aroma of fresh baked bread--inviting, warm, and bursting with unmistakable anticipation. The future is as bright as it is unsure, yet time has it's own rhythm that is untouchable to us all. This I do respect, despite the wanting of my human nature.

Meanwhile, inspiration is ripe for the picking because for this, there are no limitations...

This past Monday, I visited a local university and met with a graduate counselor for this school...funny thing is, all the reasons that I went to college over 20 years ago are nowhere near the same. And I recognize that this is a good thing. This time, I would go for the sheer joy and challenge of averting my eyes towards doors that I have been too afraid to open on my own. I would go back for the complete pleasure of being around other lovers of the written and read word. I would go to starve the vultures of self-criticism, and throw myself instead to the eagles of constructive criticism. I would do it all for personal growth, experience, and for the chance to come face to face with fear over and over again. But for now, timing and circumstance are still driving opportunity, so I will wait...at least until the signs are clearer, and until the ones I love are further upward on their own road....

This concert was a couple nights ago...sincerely one of the best concerts of my life. I am still soaring from this evening...

And a wonderful weekend to you all....

xoxo

ps. play the song and the video at the same time and you will get a glimpse of our absolute joy :).

The Art of Blueberries

It's funny the parallels nature draws in life. We like to separate ourselves with our cars, our cellphones, and our computers. But, when we pay attention to the details, our lives are written as clear as day, even in the life of a blueberry.

There is an art to blueberry picking that I never realized until yesterday. For Mother's Day, that was how we started our day. Spidey, who has been making several appearances lately, decided to join us too. How could we refuse?

Blueberries start out like we do, a tiny little seedling needing sustenance and plenty of room to grow, taking what it needs from the world around it, and with a genetic code to match. Yet each and every blueberry is different. "It's all in the seeds within each blueberry" said the blueberry farmer. The growth rate, the size, and its taste. So, sometimes on a stem full of unripened blueberries, you may find just one, perfect and ready, waiting to serve its purpose.

Hmm, I thought to myself. So, the art of raising and picking a blueberry, means letting each one grow to its full potential, at its own rate, its own speed, and just waiting until its right time to ripen.

I believe I understand. We all have our own rate in which we grow and change. We all need time, space, a little understanding, and a little patience in meeting our full potential. And the results will be pure, simple, and very very sweet :).



Happy to be joining a new blog hop today with Owlet.

"Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget. " ~ Unknown

There is so much pleasure in getting to know new people. As much as we miss many of our old friends who are far away, the delight in the new is something to speak of. I, personally, have learned more about true friendships since we started unschooling, and I believe the kids have too.

While they were in school, there was a social convenience. Yes, they were with kids everyday. But, the social convenience is a crapshoot. We had no idea what their interactions were like, who they were meeting or playing with, and what they were learning from these other kids, let alone the teachers. I know some may think this is the best way to socialize, but I had a hard time believing my 6 year old could navigate the complicated waters of people, relationships, and interactions in his short life. Here is a truth I have learned: kids learn more by what they are modeled than what they are told. In school, I left that model up to complete strangers for 6 hours a day. Whatever modeling we did at home, was overshadowed by the sheer dominance of time school had over the kids' lives. It felt wrong and it took little time to prove my intuition as my relationships with them began to suffer.

What we have found is that we would trade that convenience exponentially any day, for the opportunity to meet people with true integrity, kindness, a giving heart, and a similar respect for and from their children.  Though there may be greater effort in establishing these kinds of friendships, these are the qualities worth seeking, worth modeling. True friendships are difficult to cultivate, but it is my hope that with patience, authenticity, and a whole lot more of love and kindness, we will be just fine...