Tag Archives: hard stuff
Absences, Missing Earrings, and Coming Out Alive
Well. It’s been a hot minute. But here we are. When I first started blogging, I remember reading posts that folks had written after writing absences. These posts usually began with the blogger declaring that they were, indeed, alive. When I read these caveats I would feel a pang of guilt because in all honesty, I […]
When We Mother
Motherhood happens at 2 a.m. It’s not necessarily known for its convenience. {Let me just say that, yeah, it happens at 2 p.m. too, during moments that were planned for, but right now we’re going to talk about the 2 a.m. motherhood because that’s the motherhood where the rubber meets the road.} It’ll happen when […]
The Red Bandana
Things are not always hard. But sometimes they are. Sometimes, your child will dangle her newly-acquired red bandana out the open window of your moving car. At three and a half, she has just acquired the ability to reach the button that opens and closes the window. And yeah, you could lock it, but this […]
Eating the Elephant
For a long time now, I’ve likened writing to therapy. It’s a cheap way to get my thoughts in a row, to temper the negativity of my life with the positivity. Through writing, I’ve learned new things about myself that I otherwise might not have ever uncovered. I’ve analyzed problems and worked through complicated, conflicted emotions. Writing […]
To Miss C on Her Third Birthday
Dear Cee, Happy birthday, my girl. Today, you’re three. You’re also sick. Like, 103°-fever sick. We had planned for weeks to take you to the zoo today to celebrate your arrival to the World of Three, but instead we’re going to take you to the doctor. We’re also pretending that I’m staying home from work because […]
Considering C
Now more than ever, I find myself questioning many of the things that I thought I knew about myself. Going back to work has been a catalyst for self-examination and recalibration, and while I love channeling my energy into work and professional endeavors and figuring out who Emily the Mom/Employee is, nearly every day I miss […]
The Reluctant Mommy Blogger
It happened again a few days ago. Someone asked me what I write about. I, naturally, wanted to jump into a hole. I would venture to guess that there are few other occupations where people get as cagey about a simple inquiry into what, exactly, they do as some writers get when asked about their […]
Crazy Good Parent
It’s really easy to observe that there is a need for something in the world and then just talk about that need without doing anything effective about it. I’m a blogger, so I see that tendency alive in my life. I can point out the flaws I see in myself and others until I’m blue […]
The Big But
Sometimes it’s hard. No, I mean really hard. Take what you think hard is, multiply it by thirteen, and then imagine that you are in charge of – oh, I don’t know – curing cancer in the space of an afternoon. And that afternoon, you happen to have the world’s worst migraine. Just for fun, […]
The Waiting 