Live For Now

In honor of Markus turning eleven years old today - here are 11 things I really love and admire about him. 

I love how much you love to explore this beautiful world...

I love how you're not too cool to still go sledding with me, even when your friends are around...

I love how you include your friends' little brothers when you're playing with them...

I love how you dive head first into everything you do...

I love your smile and the sweetness that goes with it...

I love how you watch out for others...

I love listening to the conversations you have with your teammates...

I love that you can take the puck coast to coast. And also that you DON'T unless your coach tells you to...

I love that you gave me a rose for Valentine's day...

I love how cute you look in hats, especially moose hats...

I love seeing your eyes light up seeing all the Legos in the toy store...

Markus - 

I love you! Thanks for being my son for eleven awesome years. I hope this one is your best year yet. 

Mom

Star Valley ❤️

When I drove down the road into Star Valley, Markus said, "This looks just like Sun Valley." I had to agree. What. A. Beautiful. Place.  

Communication

"The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said."

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XjwZAa2EjKA

“We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit.”  –e. e. cummings

It's almost spring

And that means baseball will be back. Two different emails today told me so, one for Liberty League and one for Babe Ruth. Hockey is winding down with the last JV hockey game tonight vs. Park City. I love watching Max play. Children add joy, purpose, and meaning to our lives. They provide optimism, hope, and love. They bring smiles, laughter, and energy into our homes. They also add clutter. As parents, balancing life and managing clutter may appear impossible—or at the very least, never-ending. But what if there was a better way to live? 

I see my boys seeking real life moments and real life connections because they want it for themselves, not because I said so. But I had to let go first. 

 

What If There Is No Tomorrow?

There wasn't one today. 

Do you remember that line from Bill Murray's character, Phil, in the movie Groundhog's Day? And, how in it, Phil becomes the good guy who performs selfless acts of kindness, not manipulatively, but for their own sake. This, naturally, wins him the love of the whole town, and, of Rita. And not surprisingly, he comes to love himself. “No matter what happens tomorrow, or for the rest of my life,” Phil tells Rita, “I’m happy now because I love you.”

I am happy to look my children in the eyes and step into their world.

And to remember what my heart loves to do and then stop making excuses.

To close my eyes in gratitude and open my eyes wide in wonder.

I am happy when I have face-to-face, soul-to-soul connection with the ones who share my life.

I am happy to

read a book.

Play in the snow.

Say, “Take your time,” and mean it.

I promise to

Give a good kiss.

Leave a surprise note.

Do absolutely nothing every now and then.

And to

Rest

Laugh

Play

Wait

Dream

And breathe.

And breathe.

So I can truly live.

It’s been real. My journey has not been perfect. Sometimes I stumble, but I get back up by reminding myself that my to-do list doesn’t contain the most important tasks of the day. It is my heart that tells me what I need to survive and thrive—as long as I stop long enough to listen.

I have the power to save a life and so do you.