“Wait, you still have to stay in his room at bedtime?” she asked, a hint of pity in her voice. We sharing stories and dinner in my home and my least favorite parenting topic had arisen. “Yeah,” I said sheepishly. “With all his ear infections and our failed attempts at sleep training, he just neverContinue reading “Let it be love”
Snapshot of a summer afternoon
She clicks her laptop shut and announces, “Well, that’s enough for today.” She considers her son’s laundry basket, the dirty dishes, scattered hot wheels in the playroom. Working is her default mode; she finds it hard to relax. But the sun is shining through the blinds, and there’s a kiddie pool filled to the brimContinue reading “Snapshot of a summer afternoon”
What defines us
This is your Monday reminder that you are not defined by your number of followers. You are not defined by a number on a scale. You are not defined by a number in your bank account. You are not defined by the number of checks on your to-do list. The sum of these numbers isContinue reading “What defines us”
Becoming
I don’t think anyone can fully prepare you for how pivotal it is to become a mother. It’s not that they don’t try. In fact, when you’re expecting, you may find everyone from your great aunt to your coworkers to well-meaning strangers dole out parenting advice. Whether they’re parents or not, many know the searingContinue reading “Becoming”
A mother’s worry
“Jack got in a fight at school today,” she reports, pushing an accident slip toward me. I take the slip and crouch down to examine a fingernail-shaped scratch on my son’s head. “Poor buddy,” I say, pulling him into a hug. I look up and ask, “What happened?” “He and another boy wanted the sameContinue reading “A mother’s worry”
This changed the way I thought about hospitality
In the two plus years since we’ve lived in our new home, I’ve had a lot of design flops. There was the time we tried an online design service that suggested we order a rustic café table for our bay window. Once unboxed and assembled, the table was noticeably too tall for the space—a bigContinue reading “This changed the way I thought about hospitality”
Spring is coming
I’m halfway through Ross Gay’s essay collection, The Book of Delights, which has enlightened my gratitude practice. My practice, which I call “evening pages,” is a spin on creative guru Julia Cameron’s morning pages—three long-hand pages on any topic you want, done first thing in the morning. Instead of every morning, I do this atContinue reading “Spring is coming”
Diary of one day
Wednesday, February 20, 2019 5 a.m. ~ The sound of chimes, my iPhone alarm, breaks my dream. My eyes dart open. The bedroom is bathed in darkness. My dog is snuggled up against my husband, who’s snoring blissfully on the other side of the bed. I wrestle myself out of bed; the cool air shocksContinue reading “Diary of one day”
Two
Two years ago, I gave birth to you, little one. You burst into our lives in the most dramatic fashion and left us breathless, in awe of your tenacity. Two years of singing lullabies, tickling your belly, making you pancakes. Two years of pediatrician visits, sleep deprivation, gnawing worry. Two years of surrender. Two yearsContinue reading “Two”
Grace for a Tuesday morning
If only I could get consistent with publishing, then I’d grow my platform.If only I could be more patient with my toddler, then I’d be a better parent.If only I could get my work inbox in order, then I’d be ahead at the office. If only, if only, if only . . . Daily I findContinue reading “Grace for a Tuesday morning”
Erin Strybis 