Linking the Way Through the Week: Family, etc. Edition
Let’s do this sometime midweek, every week, OK, folks? A few things I’ve found interesting, this week, many of them more or less related to family.
My family had one of our best family dates ever this past weekend. Not everything went as planned, but we had a wonderful time rambling around Golden Gate Park and then found this ridiculously good noodle shop. We even took the best family picture we’ve taken in ages.
I also took one of the hands-down most beautiful photos of Zora ever. Look: you can even see her freckles. And aren’t the shadow-shapes around her eyes amazing? That’s a eucalyptus flower she’s smelling. Who knew they look like that?
My big shot of truth for the week: time with family (of origin or choice) is never going to be perfect all the time. But taken in little bits, there are some amazing blessed moments.
My Mom called me last week just to say that she thought this sounds like a great book: The Secrets of Happy Families, by Bruce Feiler. She heard feiler interviewed and said it was so wise not just to approach family life with another set of techniques, but to look at good practices from other areas of life, too. I pay attention when she’s excited about this sort of thing not just because she’s a good Mom, but because she’s a clinical social worker with years of experience. Though, you wouldn’t imagine she has been doing it as long as she has when you look at her. (I’ve got some good genes, huh?)
I’ve known Meika ever since we were campers together as kids. We bonded on one rather harrowing overnight camping trip. And then, we rediscovered each other when we wound up in graduate school together. She’s one of my favorite people and also smart and funny. Meika has a background in public policy and theology, and she’s got adorable girls, and she’s on a mission to make her part of the country more transportation-livable. She keeps up this wonderful blog, Traversing Tulip Lane. There’s fabulous stuff about walking and biking and public transit and polka-dot-decorated streets.
Not everyone is with me on this, but I think we should tell more birth stories. We’ve all been through it (at least on one end), right? Mihee Kim Kort wrote a beautiful birth story that’s not just the medical details, but a full-on spiritual meditation about what happened when her son’s birth didn’t go as planned. (After my experience with Abram, I admit I’m somewhat fascinated by all things VBAC.)
In an effort to get a life, I’m singing with a choir. They’re kind of awesome. I’m so tickled to death that this group will have me. Last week was sectional rehearsals. This week, I am giddy with the thought that I get to hear the whole choir, all parts, all together for the first time. Singing together is just about my favorite way to be with people.
For family matters of a different kind, whether you’re Roman Catholic or not, if you’re Christian, you should be at least somewhat interested in who’s going to be the next pope. This Fresh Air interview went beyond the basics of what’s going on in the Vatican and what happens next, without going into wild, crazy speculation. Then, of course, there’s the wild and crazy that the conclave is bringing out. Did you see this? The guy on the left is not a cardinal. He just tried to sneak in by dressing like one. The fedora is what gave him away, I guess. But that’s some extreme tourism! At least he got the picture!
I wonder if his Asics also gave him away?
And, I wrote a things for a few other websites in the last couple weeks. Here’s my take on Facebook as a place to work, from my perspective as the spouse of an employee and church-person. (I think their employee practices have something to tell us in churches and in workplaces about Gen Y and younger Gen X folks.) And here’s something I wrote for Think Christian about the example of C. Everett Koop as someone who lived out his Christian faith in different spheres of his own life.
Coming up & looking forward to: the Stay at Home Reverend gets a little modern in her prayers; my “baby” cousin comes to spend her spring break with me; Zora’s about to loose her first top tooth.
Have a great week everyone!
Love this, Erica – and thanks for the shout-out! I’m really enjoying your new blogging vocation.
6 March 2013 at 12:37 pm