The two gifts

I had a blast this year, making homemade Christmas presents for the girls. Seeing them have fun with the presents I made has brought me such deep joy.

The first present: transforming the end of our 2nd floor hallway into a special nook for the girls. I made window and outer curtains, sewed pillow covers and a blanket (with my Grandma' indispensable help!), and then hung a small shelf and a light.

The before shot


And afters!




And the second present: a balance beam (pictured further below). It was actually very easy to make- just a 2x4 cut into a 5 foot section and 2 9-inch sections, which I then sanded, stained and sealed, before screwing them together with 4 metal brackets.

A wonderful surprise for me was that as I worked on the presents, I realized they both have symbolic value, as they each represent a less tangible gift I hope we can give to the girls in these coming years.

L, we give you the gift of space. May you always have a peaceful, safe place where you can relax and rest from the busyness of life. And may you hold within yourself that same space, so that even during difficult times, you will experience inner patience and grace.


C, we give you the gift of balance. May you stay grounded and centered in your relationships and in the rhythms of your life. Even as life becomes turbulent or full of unexpected happenings, may you feel the firm grounding of our love for you beneath your feet.



Comments

  1. Sam and MomJanuary 10, 2013 at 10:06 AM

    teary eyes

    ReplyDelete
  2. LucindaMarch 1, 2013 at 2:05 PM

    I am so moved by the gifts of space and balance you write about giving your girls. Its like I knew about both of these gifts, but I didn't get it, until I read these words. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. papajackMarch 14, 2013 at 7:03 AM

    You have so much depth of beauty and insight. What fortunate girls Lucy and Clara are to have you as their mother.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Notes from the (social) distance: Day 4

Image
Why I’m writing this: It’s strange, I’m an introvert and I always work from home, but this social distancing has been deeply unsettling. I feel trapped and cut off from the little social connections that make me feel part of a larger whole- commiserating with the coffee shop barista about the weather, smiling at people I pass in the street, chatting with parents at school pick-up. So I decided I would rebirth this old blog of mine and chronicle our life under social distance. I know that some people are struggling with much bigger and harder challenges, like keeping their families fed, or having to risk coronavirus exposure to keep working in essential services. Comparatively, my challenges are much smaller and less urgent. Still, I can only write what I know, and I hope that these entries will bring connection and comfort to those who are also feeling isolated. I imagine us like sailors stranded on different islands, sending messages to each other in bottles. I we
Read more

Notes from the (social) distance: Day 8, Nest

Image
Family picture, by Clara We made it through the first week of our improvised homeschooling! Lucy has done most of her school work up in her bedroom, and seems to be enjoying having that privacy and independence. Clara does some downstairs with Matt and some with me in bed, since I’ve been resting a lot (still have the head cold). Today I got to help Clara work on a poem, inspired by a poem about having adventures through reading. The scenes she chose are all from books or stories she read this past week. On Monday I wrote a book about my dad and I On Tuesday I climbed on the roof and saw a bird go by On Wednesday I flew on my broom stick, I felt the wind on my face On Thursday I sailed across the sea, I saw a new place On Friday I was almost eaten but then I became a puppy On Saturday my house got smashed by a falling hot tubby How do you think I did all that? Well just look I read all those adventures in just a few books! -Clara Nest I kn
Read more

Notes from the (social) distance: Day 5, bumps, colds, and beams of love

Image
First day Our first day of homeschooling went pretty great. We followed our schedule, and though there was some complaining, I think overall it helped us all to have a plan to stick to. The girls did the virtual learning assigned by their teachers, we went on a long family walk in the woods, and Matt and I each got the work done that we needed to. We ended the day watching the first half of “School of Rock” together, which we all really loved (who doesn’t love Jack Black??). Bumps There were a few unexpected bumps, as we worked out how we will follow social distancing in the context of family and friend relationships. I didn’t realize how tricky this can be. We live in a townhouse development, and in the afternoon we let our younger daughter play outside with a neighbor’s daughter, with the view that we consider this other family part of our family group. Another neighbor questioned whether this was a good idea, which was well meant, but sent me into a bit of a
Read more