The gift of humanity

Yesterday I had the privilege of serving food to over 100 homeless men and women as a volunteer with a DC-area non-profit, Miriam’s Kitchen. I was struck by the Miriam’s Kitchen culture of service with humanity and dignity. This non-profit has a truly tough role — they serve the chronically homeless. I worked in housing for some time and know that chronic homelessness is often related to either substance abuse and/or mental illness. So I wasn’t sure what to expect from the volunteer experience. I left the organization in awe of the staff, the volunteers and the guests we served.

You can get with this, or you can get with that

It occurred to me the other day that any time I’ve had a choice between two options, the right answer in hindsight has been to choose neither! I’ve always chosen one, rationalized why it was the right choice and later found that I’d settled for something that didn’t meet my needs. It’s easy to develop the habit of settling for less than what truly brings us joy. Women do it all the time in both our personal and professional lives. I think the fundamental issue is that we often undervalue ourselves. Settling and self-deception are outcomes of our understated self-image.

Screamfree parenting??

My all-time favorite parenting book is called Screamfree Parenting. Screamfree Parenting promotes itself as the “revolutionary approach to raising your kids by keeping your cool”. I LOVE that book. I ADORE that book. I wish I LIVED that book more often! That book helps me to understand and embrace a liberating idea: When your children go out and act like Bébé’s Kids, it’s not your fault.

Birthday Wishes

Today is my birthday! I am officially 24 years old…again. With all of you, I share these birthday wishes…

Granny

My husband’s grandmother moved in with us a few weeks ago; her home is being completed in New Orleans. Granny celebrated her 92nd birthday this year. Well, she’s really a 92-year old with a 75-year old mind and body. Having her has been a real joy. The kids instantly fell in love with her, and she has a soothing presence in the house. I must say, there’s a lot that we can learn from this 92-year old.

Bloggers Block

It’s been a while since I sat down to blog. Actually, that’s not true; I sit in front of the computer everyday. It’s been a while since thoughts have flowed freely from my brain into a meaningful post…or even one that seems interesting. I’m afraid I have a bad case of “Bloggers Block”. So what’s blocking the blogger? Maybe if I put all of the “blockers” in writing, the blogs will once again start a-flowing. So here it goes…

Why men flirt

Last week, I had dinner with a former classmate and very dear friend. P. is a bit of a reformed player. He’s happily married to a woman he ADORES, and he treats her extraordinarily well. At the end of the night, I took a poll of some of my friends to understand why men flirt. Their answer was unanimous.

Perspective

I’ve seen so many people mourning celebrities lately – Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, even Billy Mays. A lot of high profile death to contend with in a week, no doubt. But none of their deaths hit me as hard as Kelly Murray, who was an everyday person going about the business of her everyday life when a random act — a falling tree branch — took her life. I’m sure I pass that same tree periodically myself – who’s to say that my life couldn’t have been taken at some random moment? The old cliche “Life is short” rings so true in times like this, a fact that we often busily overlook…until we don’t.

Independence

My seven-year old son, J., is asserting his independence…emphatically! I’ve been assured by the Moms that this is natural, apparently it’s the next push for independence after the 2- or 3- year old.

I must say, though, that I’ve found it to be quite challenging. Maybe it’s that I have a soon-to-be 2 year old (and a 3-year old) who are also asserting their independence. Maybe it’s that I was unprepared for this bout with bodacity. Or maybe I’m just too darn tired to negotiate with yet another “domestic terrorist”. Whatever the case, this latest phase is kicking my butt.