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Stepping over the Threshold: Prioritizing our Values even When We’re Late
“Every blade of grass has an angel that whispers over it, ‘Grow, grow.’” -Jewish saying, paraphrased from the Midrash Rabbah The front door contains a beautiful threshold between our inner and outer lives. On one side is the private, domestic life of our family; on the other is the public world of expectations and…
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Living Now: Escaping the Trap of Productivity and Living for Today
What is a life well lived? Before continuing, you might take a moment and journal about this prompt: What does it mean to live a good life? Some will tell me the question is too hard. Philosophers, religious scholars, and others have been trying to define a well lived life for thousands of years.…
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3 Powerful Ways to Remain Calm – and Perhaps Thrive – When the Chaos Seems to Reign
We all have those days when we can’t seem to keep it all together. The days when the morning routine goes sideways, the dog throws up on the rug, and the workday seems to devolve into a never-ending crisis. For some of us, these days happen more often than we’d like to admit. We…
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The Problem with Borrowed Definitions of Success
Why Many Mothers Are Chasing Goals They Never Actually Chose I have a secret: I trust that my husband is capable enough to make his own meal if I’m not around. Some of you may judge me for that: it’s the role of wives to feed their husbands. Some of you find the entire…
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What a Game of Four-Square Taught Me about Motherhood
A Game of Four Square My six-year-old cried yesterday because she lost her position in a four-square game. Uncontrollable wails of accusation rang out, and her small shoulders shook with each sob. The adults and other children tried to explain that she had missed the ball. They imparted profound life lessons about rising up…
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Self-Care for Moms: Building a Life That You Don’t Need a Vacation From
Take a hot bath, they tell us. Read a book. Go for a walk. Keep a gratitude journal. Practice self-care. There is nothing wrong with any of these things. A quiet walk can restore us. A good book can inspire the mind. A long bath can offer a space for relaxation. And yet many…