When I have a long and difficult day with my children and I tell a friend, I want:
I hear you.
When I get a speeding ticket and I tell a friend, I want:
I hear you.
When I misplace something valuable, I want:
I hear you.
Ultimately, when I feel lousy, it doesn’t matter why. I just want to know that I am heard, (more…)
As parents and educators, we can seem to have it all together.
We are embarrassed that we’ve lost it with our kids over something as insignificant as spilled milk, and so we hide our messy stories from each other. We are fearful to let anyone in on the emotional chaos we feel. We have bought into the lie that vulnerability equals weakness, and weakness equals disaster.
We believe we are raising our children alone.
But we are not alone. (more…)
We were traveling in South Africa a few weeks ago. Our ship docked for a six-day port stay, and we were lucky enough to see the highlights: a cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain, a hop-on/hop-off tour bus that drove us around the city, a drive to Boulder Beach to see the penguins swimming in the ocean, and a climb up to the lighthouse at Cape Point to watch the swirling waters where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. Plus, we visited the aquarium, played at some parks, ate plenty of delicious food, and found a western-style grocery store to restock our snack cupboard.
A few days into our adventures, my oldest turned to me and said, (more…)