This past weekend, my five-year-old son and I were looking at the Guiness Book of World Records. It’d been about 6 weeks since we’d last picked it up. When we came to the woman with the world’s longest fingernails, he giggled and said, “How does she wipe her bum?” Which is the joke I made the last time we were thumbing through the book. Then … Continue reading Words to Remember
The other day I pushed my double running stroller up the hill near our house and it spoke to me. The stroller, that is, not the hill. Although with the steep inclines in Seattle, they’ve spoken to me in other ways. I was taking the empty stroller to the second-hand shop in our neighborhood so this was our last walk together. With my hands on … Continue reading Oh the Stories You’ll Tell
I often feel as if our beautiful world of wonder slips away, hidden beneath layers of routine and responsibility. Bruno Humbeeck’s enlightening work, “Comment cultiver le goût du Merveilleux chez l’enfant et le restaurer chez l’adulte,” invites us on a transformative journey to rediscover that lost sense of awe, not just in children, but within ourselves as well. The Lost Art of Marveling As we … Continue reading Cultivating the Sense of Wonder: Bruno Humbeeck’s Insights
At this time of year, many of us put pressure on ourselves by striving for perfection. Whether it be the perfect gift, the perfect meal, or the perfect gathering, we set standards that create unnecessary stress when our loved ones would be happy with something simple. If you’re facing the task of planning a get-together, read on for five ideas for low cost and low … Continue reading Ideas for Low Cost and Low Fuss Winter Gatherings
In the heart of Scandinavia, nestled among the fjords and forests, lies a cultural tradition that embodies warmth, camaraderie, and relaxation: fika. Originating from Sweden, fika is more than just a coffee break; it’s a cherished ritual that celebrates the simple joys of life and fosters meaningful connections with others. Fika, much like its Danish and Norwegian counterpart hygge, is deeply rooted in the concept … Continue reading Fika: the Swedish Tradition of Togetherness and Relaxation
Last week, my younger daughter left on an extended work trip, leaving us with no kids at home for the first time in almost 24 years. This prompted me to do some reading and thinking about empty nest syndrome. As I usually do in these situations, I made a list of practical ways to cope with what can be a challenging time for many parents. … Continue reading Coping With Empty Nest Syndrome
I’ve done everything I’m supposed to do since divorcing from my career last year. I took some time. I went back to therapy. I started getting up at the same time every single day (something I’d not managed for more than a week in over a decade). I’ve got my evening and morning routines down to the letter! In the mornings, I get up before taking … Continue reading Smashing My Routine
In the summer of 2015, I was pregnant with two projects. The most obvious was my daughter, but I was also about to give birth to a memoir about my father. My father had died in a bike accident the day after I finalized plans to become pregnant by invitro fertilization. His death kicked off an urgency to take the recordings I’d made of my … Continue reading Memoir Writing: Understanding the Why
There’s a type of tree that’s planted all over Singapore. It’s known as the rain tree because of its iconic umbrella shape. Not only is it incredibly striking to look at, the sprawling canopy provides the perfect respite from the oppressive heat we experience here year-round. It’s planted extensively throughout Singapore for this reason. It has fast become one of my favourite trees. Not just … Continue reading Nurturing Our Roots
So my kids have started doing this thing. Every evening before bath time – after we take their clothes off before they get into the tub – they run around the apartment like crazed feral wild cats. Screaming and laughing. Pure unadulterated joy. It got me thinking about the clothes we wear, metaphorically speaking. A kid doesn’t question why we walk around with clothes on … Continue reading The Joy of Running Around Naked
The other night my brother, Jay, and I were out to dinner with his wife and another friend. Jay and I were sitting next to each other and my friend said it was funny to watch us with our synchronized big smiles, expressiveness, and gesticulating. We were talking about writing, something neither of us do professionally. My brother is a marketing guru and I’m an … Continue reading Is Being A Writer an Inherited Trait?
Have you been lucky enough to have never dealt with anxiety disorders? Or, even worse, depression? If this is the case, you may not understand what it means to be in such a situation of psychological distress. Nevertheless, if you experienced anxiety, you may have faced some difficulties with your relatives, or also circle of friends. Out of fear or ignorance of what anxiety and … Continue reading How Do You Deal with Anxiety?
When Micheal Jordan returned from the NBA after an extended hiatus his publicity manager was unsure how they should announce the news. So, he wrote a number of press releases for Micheal to choose from. But Jordan didn’t like any of them. He said, “I’ll do it myself.” before picking up a pen and writing down the following message, “I’m back.” That was it. The … Continue reading I’m Back
Hi everyone, Happy Sunday! My recent experience showed me that you can get all you want and be the richest person in the world, but if you don’t have anyone to share it with, it does not mean much. This is a (unfortunately) new understanding for me because I have always been goal-oriented (goals that did not include family or friends) and I have not … Continue reading Family and Friends
Here are a couple question I’m keen to get your thoughts on: What are your most important values and why? How do you live up to them? I look forward to hearing your answers. *** You can find AP2’s personal blog here at: https://clear-air-turbulence.com You can also find him on Medium at: https://anxiouspilot2.medium.com Or on Twitter at: @AnxiousPilot Continue reading Question of the Day: No. 543
“the same blood that runs through my veins, ran for centuries before me, and will continue to live on after me, each generation passing down their stories, like a medicine to inspire growth. (that did, indeed, inspire growth.)“ –e.l. jayne This is an excerpt from my poem “Generations” on finding gratitude in our heritage. Did you know that there are about 7,500 generations of modern … Continue reading What’s passed on from one generation to the next? Privilege and pilgrimage.
I had an ulterior motive last week when I asked what advice you would give your former self if you could go back in time. Truthfully I’m at something of a crossroads in my own life. I have a difficult decision to make and I’m not sure what my next step should be. It got me thinking, if only my future self could come back … Continue reading 9 Pieces Of Indispensable Life Advice From Your Future Self
Ten years ago, on April 8th, 2011, I met my wife for the first time at a dive bar in Hong Kong called Al’s diner. We immediately hit it off. The evening ended with us dancing to a number of 80’s classics. Despite several jello shots it took me a while to work up the courage to kiss her. I knew she was special and … Continue reading Kissed For The Very First Time
-Previously posted on Snippets of SnapDragon– So I sat down with amateur blogger SnapDragon X., to ask her a thing or two about life. She wore an over-sized teal dress/shirt thing, which she said seems to have become her unofficial uniform as of late. Her polka-dotted leggings undoubtedly completed the Practical-Mom outfit. Plus, there may or may not have been a smear of child-snot on … Continue reading SnapDragon Speaks: On Herself.
Growing up my dad always made a point about having good table manners. He made sure we never chewed food with our mouths open. That we always sat up straight. That we we set the table properly and cleared away and washed the dishes afterwards. One of the rules was if you didn’t cook, you clean! Now that I have kids of my own, I … Continue reading Table(t) Manners
