16 Sep So Much to See
Yesterday I went into the backyard, trying to find Emma to let her know it was time for lunch. She was lying in the middle of the grass, barefoot and splayed out like a starfish, looking up into the sky. I asked her to come...
Author: aaforcehimes
09 Sep I Don’t Know
During the week, our house is busy with the hum of meetings. The girls join their remote classes throughout the day. All day long, I hear the voices of children discussing different subjects. Some subjects they know a lot about; other subjects they don’t. While they...
02 Sep The Ordinary
Our mailman rings our doorbell. I open the door, taking the bulky envelope from his hands. “Thank you,” I say. “Let me grab the rest of your mail for you so you don’t have to get it later,” he says. He jogs back to his mail truck...
26 Aug This Too Will Pass
In my graduate course on diagnosis and assessment, I sat next to a girl who wore a silver bracelet inscribed with the words “this too will pass” in a scrolled font. For the longest time, I assumed she must be going through a hard experience....
19 Aug The Art of Holding Back
The first day of school (distance learning) was this week. When I woke up, I gave myself a nice long talk and decided that my sole focus for the day would be to get the girls off to a good start – to be there...
12 Aug The Best Intentions
A cricket was hopping down our hall when the girls first caught sight of it. Recently, they have been on a quest to catch every bug they can find inside our house and release them safely outdoors. They spend hours peering into corners and under furniture...
05 Aug One Nice Thing
Self-care is hard during a pandemic. By the end of the day, I find myself flopping into bed feeling extra exhausted. It’s not the tiredness after a long, busy day like in months past. It’s a deeper, emotional exhaustion that is harder to place. Home has always...
29 Jul Tear-water Tea
I vividly recall my kindergarten teacher reading a book to our class called Owl at Home. The book includes a story where Owl makes tear-water tea. He puts a kettle on his lap and declares, “Now I will begin.”Owl begins to think of many things...
22 Jul Thank You
Dr. Jane Goodall, who has devoted her life to the conservation of chimpanzees, was asked to recount moments that stood out the most. In a life filled with extraordinary experiences, challenges and opportunities, she chose to tell the story of a chimpanzee named Wounda, whose...
15 Jul Where Our Confidence Lies
Last weekend, we took a family trip to the Grand Canyon. It’s a breathtaking sight. Peering over the edge makes my heart race at the canyon’s enormous depth.The day was hot, and we decided to sit under a tree at a lookout point to gaze...