Spring has always been full of new smells. Flowers blooming. Trees budding. And those wonderful evenings after the rain comes through. On our daily walks, one of the questions our four-year-old almost always asks is “What’s that smell?” Sometimes I know the answer, especially if it’s a Bradford Pear tree, but many times I don’t. …
NPR recently reported on the way lockdown and limited mobility impacted the natural world. One of the most poignant observations was: We can hear subtlety of life around us that we haven’t heard in a long, long time. Maybe it’s because we have the time to notice sounds that have been all around us but …
On Saturday, we walked to the park and playground where we have gone innumerable times with all of our kids. The playground still isn’t opened, but the park is opened for walking and moving activities. I thought it would be a way to “return to normal.” It wasn’t. It was strange. The playground equipment still …
Just this week, I talked to many parents about how this new life has impacted our kids. Some days the changes are positive and promising. Siblings are developing deeper relationships. Learning and imagination have time to flourish and expand. And we are all noticing the way nature is growing and changing all around us. Other …
I am seeing less and less masks. I am seeing less and less patience in staying six feet apart. I am seeing more and more demands to make things “normal” again. It’s as if collectively we have forgotten why we were staying home and staying apart from each other. It’s as if collectively we have …
On our morning walk yesterday, our four-year-old looked at me and said: “Mama, my feet just can’t go anymore.” I knew exactly the feeling he was describing. The weight of loss and grief combined with the severance from community is exhausting right now. Not to mention the additional responsibilities of trying to work and homeschool …
This is incredibly difficult. If you find yourself uttering at the end of the day, “Why O Lord?” or perhaps, “How long O Lord?” You are not alone. This is our prayer together. Over the past three weeks, the reminder I have received was to find joy. Find joy in time to make better coffee. …
Even in the midst of this week’s storm, we have been able to sneak in our morning walk. Yesterday as we were walking, I was struck by the brightness of blooms. The way that they were glistening with the previous night’s rain only drew me to them more. Have you ever woken up in the …
When we do have to go out to the grocery store to get groceries or pick a prescription, we are following the CDC guidelines to wear a mask. This is something of an anomaly in our part of South Carolina. We are also sending only one member of our household on these trips. There is …
Here we are starting another week in this strange new life. The aspect of this new living that has been so surprising to me is how quickly we have adapted. I now keep masks and masks or some kind of covering for the kids in my car on the rare occasion we drive through to …
