Trigger warning: may be painfully boring work-related discussion & tips It’s been a few months since I started my new role at work. I used to manage about 15 part-time employees and had oversight of two programs. Now I manage about 30 employees and oversee 5 programs. Before I started this new position, the former…
Several months ago, I had the idea that I wanted to adapt some mindfulness and meditation practices into something that I could start teaching my two-year old, Baker. I quickly realized that I had nothing to teach her about mindfulness– she was the one teaching me about being present and aware every day. Young children…
I always used to force myself to finish books I was reading even if I wasn’t really enjoying them. Then a few years ago, a librarian friend of mine told me that she has no problem abandoning books if they aren’t captivating her. She swept her arm out in front of her and motioned to…
So many times. So many times I’ve opened up a new page on WordPress in an attempt to write, and nothing flows. It’s my own doing– I’ve been neglecting my writing lately. I miss it. I miss being in flow, feeling the creative spark and running to my notebook or phone to jot down an…
For Noreen & Duane
It has been a few months since my grandpa died. Since then, my grandma and I have shared many conversations about him, their marriage, their lives as individuals, and the grieving process. As I sat in line at the carwash a few days ago catching up with “Memow” on the phone, I asked her what…
For Renee, Charlotte, Christina, and Katy What happens to a motherWhen the heart she grew for youSuddenly has to make room For two What happens to a motherWho once spent her daysPlayingTeachingCuddlingDancingBribingLaughingExplainingExploring Is now married to the couch, bed, or kitchen floorReally anywhere the newest and most helpless childNeeds her more What happens to a motherWho…
I had to stop breastfeeding when the baby was 5 weeks oldI say had to, but really, it was a choiceThat’s what motherhood is– choice after choice after choiceHow will I mother in this moment?How will I respond to the things that are out of my control today? I had to decided to stop breastfeeding…
Today I encountered a woman screaming at her children because she wanted to take a photo of them smiling in front of a lake. Her kids were grinning at each other, at passers by, up at the cloudless sky, across the gleaming water– they were smiling at everything except for their mom. In fact, they…
I’m excited to share a new series that I’ll post intermittently on my blog called “Life Pro Tip.” I obviously didn’t create this term, in fact on Reddit, the Life Pro Tip subreddit has around 20,000 people who follow it and enjoy sharing/reading Life Pro Tips. So, what is a LPT? It’s an idea, way…
An excerpt from the book I’m working on- prose and essays on motherhood. The first timeA short service On a crisp spring dayStars in our eyesPromises on our lipsI doAnd I do, too The second timeA 3-day ceremonySoundtracked by tears and breaths In perfect synchronyWorking to bring our creationEarthside and into our arms The third time Standing in…
Sitting in the garden last week, as if in slow motion,I watched my daughter touch a bumble bee on the backAnd then lean forward to blow it a loud, exaggerated kissBefore it flew away Maybe not the safest thing to be observing, without stepping in,But I was mesmerized by the sceneAnd I was also tiredBut…
This past weekend, on Saturday, August 14th, my grandfather passed away. It’s strange writing this out knowing that his email address is subscribed to my blog, so as soon as I hit “publish”, an inbox that used to belong to my grandpa will get a notification announcing his passing. It’s all just…strange. Two weeks ago,…
The Other Courtney 