A Collection of Joyous Small Moments

I haven’t shared the beauty in a while, so I’m going to take this lazy Sunday afternoon to do just that! 

I promise, I’ll be brief so that you can spend your moments exploring these wonderful treats:

In a recent post, At Least for Me, Kris, from Pretty All True, lovingly wrote about her eldest daughter’s transition from her crib to a big girl bed.  When I read it, my heart grew so big it nearly exploded.  This post is beautiful and tender and I could reread it many times over.  Though it spoke to me partly because we recently introduced Katie to her big girl bed, this story of a mother’s intense love for her child is a gift for us all.

Andy, from Crazy with a Side of Awesome Sauce, recently captured a lovely small moment with a gorgeous, warm photograph, Golden Afternoon, that made me peaceful and happy.

My favorite food is salmon.  Every time I eat it, I am overwhelmed with bliss and caught in that very moment.  Meredith, from In Sock Monkey Slippers, recently posted a recipe for Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Salmon that screams out for me to make it and eat it entirely by myself.  Some things simply cannot be shared.

I am often struck by the way we remember things and by which bits of an experience stay with us.  Jen, from Denton Sanitorium, has written a beautiful post, M is for Memories, that thoughtfully questions how her children will remember their recent vacation. 

Though Guilty Squid never fails to make me laugh, I read a post this week that made me giggle, guffaw, and cry with laughter.  I loved it and I think you will too. Read it here:  This is the story of how I thought this Hollywood writer/director/producer was proposing to me. As it turns out, I may be proposing *for* him.

Chris Jordan has captured the essence of living in the moment with these beautiful shots of summer bliss:  The Camera Just Loves This Kid

Now, I’m off to feed Katie some watermelon!

Sharing the Beauty…

I’ve read so many wonderful things lately and I wanted to share some of them with you.  Here are the five best blog posts that I’ve read over the past few weeks that have either inspired me, moved me, made me think, or made me laugh:

Patterns and Chaos

Blog: No Points for Style

Why I Love It: This is one of the most beautiful things that I’ve read lately.  Adrienne’s writing is rich and eloquent. Her use of metaphor is remarkable.

Favorite Passage: “[Carter] is a person, whole and beautiful under the scrim of disorder on top, and he makes decisions and takes actions that belong to him. But sometimes the illness is so loud and his defenses are so weak that it dictates all of his behavior.

Powerlessness is a bitch.”

Reading the Signs

Blog: Pretty All True

Why I Love It: Kris, who I’ve mentioned here and here, artfully blends beauty and pain and makes you read even if it hurts to do so. This particular post is from Mother’s Day weekend and I have carried it around in my heart since reading it.  Kris proves time and time again that even with a childhood fraught with difficultly, she is loving, wise, and forgiving.

Favorite Passage: “My mother’s scars are a beckoning sign as well . . . in this body is a soul who has been damaged, a spirit who has been harmed. She is mended and patched, but not healed or repaired. She remembers. She understands.”

How It Started

Blog: Now who’s the Fat Project

Why I Love It: Wickedly funny, this ongoing bit of devilish behavior is a guilty pleasure to watch unfold. Love it, love it, love it.

Favorite Passage: “So #FatProjectReverse started with just an idea that maybe I could make something extra fattening for her like fried cheesecake.”

What it feels like when Satan lives in your esophogus

Blog: The Heir to Blair

Why I Love It: Reading this post was like receiving a huge hug.  Until Matthew was finally diagnosed with acid reflux, our life with him was truly challenging.  It was moving to read this post from someone who totally got what it was like to live that way.  I am so grateful for this post, as it meant that I wasn’t alone.

Favorite Passage: “Because as over-stimulated as your child feels, you’ve had high-pitched shrieking invading your every thought for almost five hours.  For the seventh day in a row.  At night, you close your eyes & you still hear crying.  You wake up three times every night, swearing you heard screaming & wondering if motherhood will give you post traumatic stress disorder.  & you sit down & cry, looking at your child & irrationally asking him why he hates you.  Wondering if he’d be better with another mother.  Wondering if what you wanted for so long was the biggest mistake you ever made.”

The Beauty of Living Slowly

Blog: Simple Mom

Why I Love It: I’m guilty of letting life get so busy that I sometimes let he beauty of each day slip right by me.  I love this list of specific ideas on how to truly slow down and enjoy your family.  I hate the idea of blinking and having my children grown and wishing we had truly savored more of the small moments.

Favorite Passage: “Turn up the music and dance in your living room with your children. My kids love this, and it takes 15 minutes.”

There you have it.  Happy reading!