Sometimes, as the days fill up and I try to recollect the many things that happened in a particular day, or in this case - a long weekend, it all begins to blur and I can't quite remember just what it is we've been doing. Do you know that feeling? So full the days become, that it's impossible to remember all that happens, and when I do, I marvel at all we are able to fit in a day. Six impossible things before breakfast, isn't that what Alice said in Through The Looking Glass? Surely that's what every parent manages each day! (Maybe hers was believing, not doing. Either way...)
But my camera, thank goodness, always serves as a reminder of the underlying current of how our time is spent. Nearby enough that I can reach for it throughout the day, and later reflect on the moments that for one reason or another, made me pause to record what is happening. This weekend, that was all about connection....and light. The children, as you can see, are following the light all around the house, and the warmth too. Literally, this is absolutely the case - we are all drawn to it this time of year, craving it and soaking it all in like the best of cats. We start the morning with the sun in the library, then follow it to the other side of the house, landing us all as close to the fire as possible by evening. And in our hearts this is the truth as well, as I'm realizing we are drawing closer to friends right now, closer to connections, closer to the light and warmth that we all so need and want.
This weekend, Kirsten Rickert (creative Mama and frequent contributor to Taproot) and I gathered for some creative work and play, and it was a true delight and wonderful comfort. A few old friends came and went as the weekend progressed as well. Each time, gathering by the fire, we worked with our hands, and talked through the troubles and joys of our lives and the lives of those around us in the wider world. We didn't solve any of the problems of the world, that's for sure, but we certainly did listen to each other. We offer solace, love and light where we can. And hopefully from that, some ideas for action in small and large ways.
I do not know where I'm going with this, which is a little bit how I'm feeling these days - and I know I'm not alone in that sense. The time of year, the time of our parenting lives, the time of our global world - so much is changing at home and beyond. But I do know that warmth and connection is what I'm craving and nurturing right now. And that I'll keep following that sun through my home and in the world just as long as it keeps shining.
