Can you relate?
I have been sitting here for days staring at this screen looking for something profound to write about. A Holiday tip or recipe that will ease your stress and bring you back to the spirit of the season? A wise and wonderful reflection on the horrors of last week and how we can restore the humanity we have so obviously abandoned somewhere along the line? A commentary on my renewed out of control eating and my pending New Years weight loss plans?
But none of it is forthcoming no matter how hard I try.
My brain is in a constant state of motion these days, racing from one thought all the way across the spectrum to something completely different. There is so much going on. How can I possibly focus and write about just one thing? I can’t.
So I’m not going to try. Instead, I am going to tell you what has been on my mind and I am hoping that putting it out there will help me sort through it. Here goes:
1. The Sandy Hook tragedy should force us to ask ourselves as a society some serious questions and not just about gun control (although that would be top of the list). We need to consider why a young man thinks killing innocent people is desirable (not to mention himself and his mother). What are we doing wrong as a society to contribute to this sick fantasy and how can we change it?
2. What do I want the Holidays to be about for me and my family? I love Christmas but I am wondering. I don’t want to lose the spirit but where do I draw the line and still maintain the magic? I recently visited a public housing community to donate much needed supplies for the holidays and I felt that my family may be missing the point of the season. Should I try what my friend, Heather, at Globetrottingmama.com is doing and give up gift giving all together in exchange for family time and giving back? What is the right balance for me and my family?
3. What am I going to do about my out of control eating? I thought these days and ways of coping were long gone?
4. How do I protect my children without creating fear? I don’t want my children to think that the world is a scary place. I want them to confidently go out and live their lives to the fullest, take risks and live large. But…the world can be scary.
5. How do I raise a teen? My eldest, my son, was not yet 10 when my mom died 3 years ago. I harassed my mom for every single bit of parenting know how I could think of at the time. Unfortunately, I have begun to realize that I am running out of motherly advice from her just when I seem to need it most. Just when things are really changing and I could use her calm and wise words.
These are a few of the things on my mind. Can you relate? Any words of wisdom?
