topic ideas

Avocado Toast

Self Care

Cherishing the Small Moments

The days are long but the years are short

Finding your tribe

Little Things

Everyone has heard that it's the little things that matter.  It's the little things that bring joy.  Even though we have heard this sentiment a million times, it's hard to remember on a day-to-day basis.  These are some things that give me joy.

• A baby's laugh
• A Mohammed hug
• Mohammed's kisses (mwah!)
• A nice, warm bath
• Sunshine
• Green grass
• Picnics
• Someone else doing the dishes
• A relaxing dinner out
• Breakfast
• Relaxing in bed
• Reading
• Coffee and a sweet treat
• Texts from friends
• Chats with Mom
• Potluck with friends
• Cuddling a newborn
• Warm slippers
• Baking bread
• Exploring new places
• Water - lakes, rivers, streams, oceans
• Reading cookbooks
• Wandering a bookstore
• Exploring a specialty food store
• People watching at the airport
• Leaving on a jet plane
• Long walks
• Talks with friends where you don't have to explain any weird things you say
• Acting like a kid sometimes (a lot of times)
• Coloring
• A clean house (but not the cleaning part!)
• A big glass of water
• Healthy food that tastes good

This New Joy

I gave birth to Mohammed 19 months ago,  I've been a mother for 19 months.  Twenty-nine months if you count when I was pregnant.  My life changed forever the morning of July 5, 2013.  It's not better or worse.  It's not all roses.  Parenting is hard.  It's the hardest thing I have ever done and the hardest thing I will continue to do for at least 18 more years.  I love Mohammed with all my heart.  He is a little boy with a big personality and has a lot of joy inside of him.  Nurturing this joy is one of the most important things I can do as a mother.  I am realizing more and more that I first must nurture this joy inside of myself.  I know that this will be a lifelong journey, but one that I need to embark on to be the best mother I can be.  Bringing a human being into this life is not something to take lightly and the influence that I have on my child(ren) will be one of the strongest they have.  I'm ready to embrace This New Joy.