13 Hours of Rain

You become a product of where you live and whom (or what) you love. Yes, nature takes a part in your character development and value placement. But, how you are nurtured, along with the object of your affections, hones who you are. We recently concluded an action packed week with your Mausi*  and her family. The time was sweet and precious. You cousins concocted imaginative adventures. Tummies were fed mostly "Canadian" fare with dollops of ice cream now and then. And us adults played many, many board games while laughing and sharing over chai and chocolate. Your Mausi and her family live in another region of our world, where the climate and food is hot and the culture is more patriarchal than ours. And as I listened to the differences between here and there, and pondered how your Mausi and her family live a life that is quite different than mine, I couldn't help but ask myself, "What 'Western' values are worth holding on to? And what 'Eastern' v...

We are into summer now. Our days are filled with catching up with tasks we've shelved during the year, tending our yard, biking, and swimming lessons. There are some family get-togethers here and there. Plus a balanced dose of literacy, including numeracy, to keep your grade levels up. This is the last summer before both of you enter the world of school. I too will dust off my teaching skills and enter the classroom as a casual substitute teacher. I am looking forward to the change. Yet, I hold my breath during this moment in time, cherishing this stage of full-time homemaking, which will soon be past (for now, anyway). There are still days when I do pause and reflect on whether or not we could have extended this season of preschool parenting. We are a two-kid family, a decision that was not accepted flippantly, but rather with much deliberation and disquietude (especially on my part). In spite of the permanency of our decision, those uncomfortable moments do arise, when the co...

I've wanted to see the movie for quite some time. But the locally owned movie rental store (yes, we still have one) didn't carry it any longer. And we don't subscribe to Netflix. So when we were loaned "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (1999) by a friend, I jumped at the chance to view it. It was thankfully as expected. Fascinating. Intriguing. Disturbing. Some scenes required the "fast forward" button. Other times, you wished to pause the drama to discuss how you could love and hate the main character at the same time. The movie is a psychological thriller, where the main character, Tom Ripley, plots to be become a fake somebody rather than a real nobody. When the real life cast was asked to state the morale of the story, several commented on how we need to find happiness by loving ourselves instead trying to become someone that we are not. While I agree with this morale to a point, I believe there was an element of the movie that was much darker, much sini...

I've entered the play date world. Not the one where I arrange an outing for a Mom and I to visit while our kids play together. But rather the one where a kid randomly shows up at our house and asks, "Can I come over to play?" Or, "Can A. come to my house to play?" Okay, I am a bit of a control freak. I don't think I am as obsessive as the definition of the phrase implies. But I do need a measure of control over aspects of my life and the lives of you children. I don't enjoy just letting people come over "willy-nilly", especially if it happens often. And, it really bothers me when I have no idea if the parent has even allowed their kid to meander over. While I do consider myself a hospitable person who is eager to open our home to others, the introvert side of me cherishes family time without the presence of visitors. As for you visiting your friend's home? I am okay if I know the parents and if a parent is present. If I have no idea who...

One day I would like to preach a sermon for a good thirty minutes. Sadly, I don't have any Bible School training. And I know ever so little about h ermeneutics  or exegesis in comparison to your seminary trained Daddy. Regardless, I'd like to expound a passage of scripture after weeks of study and share what God has placed on my heart for that moment. Today, I can finally allow myself to imagine such an opportunity, as when I was a little girl, I bemoaned my gender because I believed women couldn't preach. My paradigm has shifted now. While I cannot claim to be brilliantly eloquent or profoundly insightful, I still think I have something to offer my listeners if such a privilege was entrusted to me. Maybe one day. One day I would like to write a novel. It isn't a deep passion of mine in comparison with other beloved people in my life. Neither am I gifted in weaving creative tales or spinning fantastic plots. My writing is kind of run-of-the-mill... sort of ordinary...

I take a spade to the front flower bed and dig out the quackgrass that tends to infiltrate the south edge. I firmly push the shiny blade with my foot. I uproot some of the underground rhizomes. I pull and discard plants with my gloved hands. "So, Mommy, can we make a plan about what we will plant this year?" A. asks. "I don't want to think about that right now. I just want to weed," I mutter (Sorry, I was not the most inspirational Mother at that moment). "Can we talk about it anyway?" A. persists. "Sure." "Can we plant peas? I like peas," J. adds. "Yes." "And carrots?" A. asks. "Yes. We'll plant short ones." "How about cucumbers?" A. continues. "Maybe." "Broccoli? I love broccoli!" A. exclaims. "Probably not. Broccoli is hard to grow." You kids continue to dream, imaging the garden we can grow in our limited space. I keep on weeding,...

I searched my archives and found my " Mellow Sunday " post from about six years ago. I laughed out loud (a true LOL) and smiled at how such days are still a reality for me. After an intense week with my children and more responsibilities than usual, I come to this day of rest in a state of exhaustion and discontentment. My motivation is low, as to be expected, and I want to just sleep the day away. Your Daddy is having a nap right now after returning from the Provincial Drama Festival. You kids are observing quiet time while constructing imaginative things with Lego. I am here writing, letting my thoughts run free for a while, as a way to embrace the mellowness of such a day. There are days I wonder if this whole meta-narrative involving a Creator God, a Faithful Son and the Comforting Holy Spirit is one immense delusion. Our pastor just concluded a series on the Book of Revelation. We were reminded to be ready for Christ's second coming. Instead of being hopeful, I w...