Our azaleas are just beginning to bloom in the backyard. I have been attentively watching them bud and bloom for about a week now. I am learning to view things from different perspectives… a photo from this point of view teaches me to remember and to appreciate beginnings.
When my daughter woke us up this morning, I was definitely not ready to begin the day. Last night she had her first temper tantrum and boy it was a doozy. At one point, as we were (mistakenly) trying to contain her and calm her down, I laughed out loud because she seemed like a caged wild animal. We are lucky that we lasted almost 27 months without one, but I had been silently congratulating myself on raising her so well that she didn’t feel the need for them. I have now read enough about them to know that they are pretty much inevitable, a sign of her growing independence and struggle to control her emotions.
I had a break yesterday from the physical demands of motherhood. I got to attend a day-long photography workshop, a true luxury for me. Yet, after last night’s hysterics and a night of unsound sleep, I wanted to pull the covers over my head this morning to prevent a temper tantrum of my own. The idea of being “on” all day seemed so exhausting. I’m sure everyone has lists of things they need to do and things they want to do and not enough time to do them. My own list seems overwhelming at the moment.
Newt Gingrich, not my favorite person by a longshot, said “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.” That’s how I feel today. Keep on pushing through.
It’s official! I have been taking pictures of friends and their kids for my ownenjoyment and practice for about a year now and have gotten very nice compliments in return (and I will happily continue to take pictures for them because I honestly can’t help it). Recently, a few friends have offered to pay me to take family or maternity pictures and they liked the results. When I started this blog a month ago, I started receiving very kind and encouraging feedback. Finally, and most importantly, my confidence caught up with everyone else’s belief in me and I feel good about “putting myself out there.”
I just designed and ordered the business cards you see above and I’m very excited about this new venture.
I am currently taking the Level 2 publishing class with The Momoir Project. (Our teacher, Cori Howard, is a journalist turned writing mother, and has an anthology — pictured here. –>) Cori offers writing classes for moms and it’s open to anyone, anywhere. There are a handful of students in my class who meet virtually every other Thursday. Between classes, we are working on our assignments, sharing them on a private online forum, and offering feedback to our classmates. One person said it’s “better than therapy” because she receives such positive reinforcement from the group. I have absolutely loved the classes.
Why am I telling you this? Because Cori just emailed us a 15% off coupon to use toward a future class. Recording anecdotes and thoughts is fun and not at all difficult,especially in such an intimate group. It’s also a great way to preserve memories for your children. If you would like to use my coupon, please let me know and I’ll send it your way.
This is a quotation from Karen Maezen Miller’s book, Mamma Zen: Walking the Crooked Path of Motherhood, that I identify with and would like to share with you:
“We hurry up our childen only to try, in vain, to hold a part of them back. Everything happens in its own time soon enough. Soon enough is always too soon. “Don’t push the river,” my Zen teacher says to pull me back when he sees my mind wander off in search of someday. “Let the future come to you.” Ready or not, it does. It toddles forward on its first steps, teeters on a threshold for one agonizing instant, then turns and waves bye-bye. Goodbye, sweet baby; hello, sweet girl.
“When I occupy that instant, any instant, my heart’s fullness reminds me that here is everything and everything is here. This is how I would live if I had mastery of myself – without wasting one sideways glance at what was or what has yet to be… If I were looking forward or lingering too long, forever looking backward, I would miss too much. I would miss it all.” (p. 114)
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A few of my friends have lately mentioned to me that they really like this blog and the photography it features. I am so honored! If I were technically savvy, I’m sure I could figure out a way to see who is … Continue reading
