I was loading up the conveyor belt with my purchases at Target earlier today when I noticed that there seemed to be a hold up with the customer ahead of me. Once I could find no more space on the belt, which hadn’t moved in a couple of minutes, I looked up to see what was going on and my heart melted. A little boy of no more than five years old was standing next to his young father, struggling to open his own adorable wallet and pull some paper bills out. I looked at the cashier in time to see her bagging a mid-sized Star Wars LEGO kit and…
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Hugs
I think about hugs a lot. That seems like a ridiculous statement, especially for a post-opener. My blog, my rules. Hugs, real, live, in-person ones, can be so healing. They can fill you up a little bit (or a lot) if you’re feeling empty. They can reassure you, warm you up, and make you feel more loved in that moment than in all the other non-hugging moments of that entire day. Hugs are magical, especially the ones that linger just a couple of seconds longer than you expect. Virtual comments on Facebook or texts that say “Hugs!”? Well, the jury is still out on those but I choose to believe…
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This Week: 1 Melisa: 1/2
This week has Kicked. My. Butt. I’m not talking about your average, run-of-the-mill, short-term butt-kicking. I’m talking about nearly a week’s worth of stress-induced, anxiety-laden, sleep-deprived, frustrating, often tearful minutes that crawled by as if they were hours instead of sixty-second increments. To say out loud that it’s “been a tough week” seems ridiculous to me because it’s such a massive understatement. The cause: too many moving parts in my life, many of which are currently out of my control. At my lowest point earlier in the week, I sobbed heavily into Jim’s arms, stating rather dramatically that I just don’t know why I can’t be a “normal person who…
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To Grandma’s House I Go
I’ve been thinking about my grandmother a lot lately, especially as I toss around ideas for the essay I will write for this year’s Listen To Your Mother show in Chicago. Memories of her come and go, and sometimes she hangs around in my brain for an extended period of time. I don’t mind at all; in fact, I rather enjoy it. My Grandma was a huge presence in my young life. We visited her house all the time, and she spoiled her grandkids like crazy. She was one of the kindest, most generous people I’ve ever met in my life. I’m often in awe of the fact that she…
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Apparently My Word For 2014 Was “Travel”.
This time last year I noticed many of my friends picking “a word for 2014”, something they would live by or strive for. I didn’t join in but it all worked out. As it turned out my word, “Travel”, found its way to me. While thinking about what kind of 2014 wrap-up post I wanted to write, what stuck out the most was how much travel I did this year. In fact, without even looking at my calendar to count days properly I figured out off the top of my head that I was away from my home for between six and eight weeks. That’s a lot of time living…
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Happy Thanksgiving 2014!
I had every intention of writing an actual post this evening, but after Meatsgiving we came back home and played “Outburst” for two hours and now, at 10:50 p.m. I’m dealing with my normal level of exhaustion plus the added bonus of an oncoming meat coma, so I’m just going to say that it was a really nice day and I’m thankful to have spent it with my family. I’m also thankful for you. Yes, you. More tomorrow. Meet me here? Ooh, I said “meet”. Sounds a lot like “meat”. Zzzzzzz…..
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New Old Holiday Traditions
If there is anything for which I am well-known, it’s that I’m not a huge fan of the holidays and holiday traditions. Wait, it’s that I have a Type A personality. Wait, it’s that I love tea. Wait, it’s that I’m a very cheerful, optimistic person. Wait, let’s go back to that holiday thing. I’ve explained it many times before; it’s not that I don’t like the holidays in general. It’s more about not fully enjoying the pomp and circumstance that comes with the holidays: the decorations, the fuss, the clutter, the stress, the “we have to do THIS and THIS”…I’m a creature of habit and it all gives me…
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Reason #829 Why I Love The Internet
The internet is pretty awesome. Okay, it is awesome if you set aside the ways in which it sucks. I’m focusing on the awesome today. Here’s the thing. It’s very common for people on the internet to band together and come forward to be supportive when there’s a personal crisis going on. There’s always someone on the internet to say, “Oh my gosh, me too!” or “Don’t worry; that’s totally normal!” whether you’re talking about physical issues, mental issues, home repair issues, kid issues, or any other kind of issue, really. The Good People of the Internet* are right there, helping others feel better. I was having my own crisis…
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Friday, I’m In Love
I had a really good day today. The funny thing is, it was almost identical to any other day as far as my activities were concerned: – I went to The Dailey Method for my class. – I did some grocery shopping. – I talked to a couple of friends on the phone. – I worked. – I drank tea (duh). – I tried not to let my dog drive me insane. In fact, with the exception of the grocery shopping part, that list pretty much encompasses almost every single one of my Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Why was it so good? I have a few ideas: –…
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Couch Potatoes.
Ten days after J was born, Jim started his first civilian job after fulfilling ten years of service in the Navy. The new job was about ninety minutes from our house in Wisconsin and so in order to avoid the commute in his first weeks of working long hours he lived away from us Monday through Friday and came home on the weekends. This lasted for seven months—much longer than we originally anticipated—due to the fact that it took us that long to sell our house. J was a fairly easy-going baby and D, at around three years old, was a great helper. Although it was definitely difficult spending five…