Erin Strybis

Keep Me Awake: Prayer as a Mother

“I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.I do know how to pay attention, how to fall downinto the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,how to be idle and blessed” — Mary Oliver, from “The Summer Day” I stand in an open field, watching for signs of rain. An hour ago, I hollered toContinue reading “Keep Me Awake: Prayer as a Mother”

Why I let him nap in my arms…again

Because he woke up early from his nap.Because he was calling “Ma-ma! Ma-ma!”Because when I collected him from the crib,he nestled his head against my shoulder.Because he needed more sleep.Because I needed him, too.Because I could *not* answer another email or tidy another toy or wash another dish.Because being his safe space is more importantContinue reading “Why I let him nap in my arms…again”

The Beauty of Motherhood

Dear God, There are messes
upon messes in this house,
the baby and I are playing an epic game of spill or save the dog’s water bowl

I could call him a wonder

Today is Adam’s first birthday. From our couch, I watch him cruise the living room, weaving in and out of midwinter sunbeams. He picks up a blue building block and passes it through the mail slot of our front door. Turning to me, he exclaims “Da-da-da!” while I hover my pen over my notebook. “GoodContinue reading “I could call him a wonder”

Who you are at six : a birthday tribute

You are an athlete. You sprint across the soccer field, swing from the monkey bars, scale trees, slides and rocks then leap into your next adventure. Motion is your oxygen. You were an angel in the Christmas play, and though you wouldn’t wear your wings (“too scratchy”) and you might have ignored a few stageContinue reading “Who you are at six : a birthday tribute”

In This House…

We sing to each other and we tell bedtime stories, // We share highs and lows and prayers at dinner, // We practice kindness and yoga and serving our neighbors,

Grace for the new year

The past few years, I haven’t wanted to celebrate New Year’s. The stress of the COVID-19 pandemic and a country struggling with political discord, racism and gun violence tempered my mood and dashed my social plans. Hope was hard to hold onto. How could anyone plan or dream when the day-to-day was so precarious?

Year in review

On my 37th birthday, what I wanted most of all was time to write. I put the baby down for his first nap, pacified my older boy with his tablet and retrieved my pale green journal. Before sitting down, I lit a candle, which is my writing ritual. I like imagining the flame as myContinue reading “Year in review”