Category: daily acts of surrender

  • Re-post. A Love Note to Homeschooling.

    I wrote the love letter at a time when everything in our life was up in the air. The only constant was our rhythm of learning. We had moved to Costa Rica and were in the middle of building our house and living in our fifth rental where all four kids were sharing a tiny…

  • Are we there yet? Part one.

    The kids have long since learned to never ask this question en route to any destination. When they were little, they would ask this every 5 minutes and I would say, “Half an hour more!” And then they would be happy for the next five minutes because little ones actually have no concept of time. …

  • love note no.17: dear christmas quilt.

    Dear Christmas Quilt, A couple days before Christmas, I finally found you in a box I had packed away.  I looked for you for weeks and couldn’t find you. I thought I had given you away, or worse, thrown you out by accident. Years ago, I made you for the couch – a holiday quilt…

  • love note no.16: dear caterpillar.

    We have began a new chapter in our family adventures here in Costa Rica.  And we have been busy maintaining connection with our daughter who has been living abroad. It is unfamiliar emotional and logistical territory – piecing out my heart while navigating time zones. I haven’t written any love letters here in over 6 weeks.  Every time I started…

  • love note no.2: dear lady rage.

    Dear Lady Rage, I didn’t have a name for you until a friend of mine sent me a newsletter on this subject by Two Bossy Dames where you are the topic of conversation: DM: WELL, it’s hardly surprising, given the way Society pathologizes ANY emotion women express that’s not Bright Sunny Pleasantness, that women tend to…

  • how my dreams came true.

    Do you know what that moment feels like when you realize that all your dreams have come true? I had this moment this morning when I went downstairs and saw this: An empty house and my daughter studying for her first university exam. (In fact, she is writing it now as I write this post.) Before…

  • the art of the unsettled life.

    I don’t like that word – unsettled.  But that’s all I have felt this month which is why I haven’t written here in awhile.  I have about a dozen drafts of stories about my trip but my mind keeps jumping too far ahead into the future to really be here to reflect on our awesome…

  • accepting invitations.

    In yesterday’s post, I mentioned that I left for a week to attend a women’s retreat.  After a week spent with my family and my dad, I said goodbye and got dropped off 10 minutes down the road to a private beach house where I would be spending 7 days with 8 other strangers. Days…

  • why i haven’t blogged.

    In Canada, today is family day. We decided to travel to Costa Rica for two months so that we could have family day every day.  With the exception of a week that I was away at a retreat and a week that my husband will be away at surf camp, we are together.  My dad…

  • happy new year.

    We stayed in today after a busy day and night yesterday.  This is the first moment I am on my computer.  I spent the day playing board games with my family.  We talked a bit about our year and how excited we are for what lay ahead for us. Last night, I did my very…