hello there, friend,
i've spent the better part of the last few days reading. it's one my favorite ways to start any kind of break or vacation. i've been encouraging my kids to do the same, although they haven't taken my advice. i had lofty ideas for what i would do a few weeks back with this time, thoughts about organizing and decluttering, meal-making, and gift-wrapping. alas, what i really wanted was to disappear into someone else's story, not mine for a little bit - to get out of my own head and into someone else's.
my kids are old enough to entertain themselves and they have been. i've listened to them making music and laughing together, in a way i haven't heard them do for a while. they are relaxed and fully present, now that the semester is over, alternating creativity with their own versions of vegging out - and already i've enjoyed their company so much.
i was reminded yesterday of something i heard on a podcast, which i feel might be my life's work - now, but especially during the holidays, 'be with what is'. in these moments, what matters is my attention, not my lofty expectations. as we prepare for our travels, i'm making lists, but i'm also paying attention - to the moments that bring me joy, to the kindnesses we extend to each other, to the connections and memories we are in the middle of making.
xo,
b
