Today’s teenagers are going through a myriad of things that can seem familiar and strange all at once to those of us who like to say that we have “been there.” “No, you haven’t been there. You really don’t know,” a number of teenagers in classes I covered would, not a bit too touchily, say. … Continue reading 14 Parenting Tips from Teenagers
Author: mrsdwilley
Being underestimated is a gift in disguise
People see you, and yet they don’t. Instead of looking your way, they are looking way past you. Someone asks you a question, but oddly doesn’t tune in to your response. They make polite conversation with no intent to go beyond scratching the surface. They nod, they linger a little, but they neither see nor… Continue reading Being underestimated is a gift in disguise
Missing those deeper connections
Lately, I have been half-lamenting my lack of deeper connections. I have been craving to find that elusive spot where I can safely express my fears and insecurities, navigate my confusions and expose my vulnerabilities with neither judgment nor false comfort. It has been more than two years since we expatriated, leaving the home, people,… Continue reading Missing those deeper connections
We are all in the process of becoming
Let’s rephrase this question, “What do you want to be?” into “What are the many things you want to be?” We are privileged to live in a time where reinvention is a necessity. When we reflect on our fast-changing world, it goes beyond the insane speed with which technology is taking over our lives; rather,… Continue reading We are all in the process of becoming
The Forgotten First Year
Why can we not remember being one year old? How can the human brain displace the memory of this almost-magical sprint of time where emotions travel between peaks and valleys in the space of a minute? Where the first infant coos and gassy smiles turn into baby babbling and laughter? Where parents shed self-centered skins… Continue reading The Forgotten First Year
The Fallacy of Postpartum Bliss
It’s 8 o’clock and my baby has been sleeping soundly since I nursed him a little past 6. In a couple of hours, he will squirm and cry in his sleep and I will be running and panting my way up the stairs to comfort him. The rest of the night will be a blur.… Continue reading The Fallacy of Postpartum Bliss
When the coffee’s cold and life is on hold
That moment, a very quiet moment, when I hold him close to me and both my arms are wrapped around him. His head is on my shoulder and his chest gently vibrates against mine. I feel his sweet breath at the side of my neck along with soft tiny arms clinging onto me. Everywhere is… Continue reading When the coffee’s cold and life is on hold