parenting – La Vie Douce

Mocking sun

The ability to adapt within the human spirit is astonishing. It is at the times when we know hardship is coming that we can take a moment to appreciate a small thing of beauty like the sun dogs I was blessed to see this morning.

(Sun dog- “a bright spot in the sky appearing on either side of the sun, formed by refraction of sunlight through ice crystals high in the earth’s atmosphere” )— which means wet weather … aka ‘snow’ is coming.

How ironic that my intention with this blog at its inception was to write about slowing down and appreciating the good life.

My life is not slow. It is not one of ease. In fact, as I write this I am painfully aware of the fact that I really need to pluck my eyebrows amongst other things that have just gone to the wayside. Bright spot… at least I still have brows to pluck??!

Just because my life isn’t one of repose doesn’t mean it doesn’t have many moments that are oh so sweet. Let’s all take a moment and self check our thought life… what is difficult in your current circumstances but also has some sweet sweet spots worth acknowledging?

Pamplemousse et pastèque

Sometimes language fails me. Sometimes there are just no words to express the feeling, the experience, the thoughts.

For the life of me I couldn’t remember what ‘watermelon’ was in French! I have been speaking French for most of my lifetime and yet the word escaped me.

I don’t think I know much of anything about ‘la vie douce‘ except for my personal experience. I don’t have a magic wand or a secret formula that can solve everyone’s woes.

It is hard to write about something from a place of loss or ignorance or pain. But of late the acronym KISS has been on my mind… keep it simple ‘sweetie’ or ‘stupid’ for those who like to call a spade a spade… 😜

I have the privilege as a foster mom to babies to see physical development at its very beginning. I get to see first smiles, hear first words, see first steps. Everything has to have a beginning. We all have to start somewhere. Baby steps.

I’ve been on a path of wellness as I recognize that as I age I need to not take my body for granted. I have young ones depending on me. More importantly, I need to care for myself well as I can’t keep serving these young ones, my family, my friends, my church, my community from a continuously empty tank.

La vie douce— my baby step— my sweet life for today consists of sitting down to put this rambling here. My baby step involves doing so from a place of openness, recognizing I have a lot to learn. Knowing that I am but a lump of clay being formed into something beautiful by my Creator. I am seeking Him as I breathe in the warm breeze and feel the gentle wind on my face. He is good. All the works of His hands are good.

And so today, I breathe Him in. Today He is my everything and the key to the sweet life I crave.

Des cuisses de fer

Did you know that it is a scientifically proven fact that naked toddlers run faster than clothed toddlers?

I have been having a fight with myself. I am feeling like I may need to up my cardio. Little man’s cherub-like physique is only getting speedier and this 40-ish body of mine needs some fine tuning in order to keep up.

I love how little man’s brain works. A) I have legs B) I have feet C) I can run.

To implement this daily practice might prove to be life altering.

A) gratitude (ie. I have legs and feet!)

B) embracing my reality (I am fearfully and wonderfully made — strong and capable even!)

C) taking action based on truth.

La vie douce possesses a certain kind of self-denial. The kind of self-denial that holds every thought captive and measures it against truth. Truth= action without fear. Anyone up for a slow, slow, slow jog???

La Passion

I have a toddler with a singular purpose in his daily life. His purpose is to just be.

What if.

What if I lived my life with a singular purpose? What if that purpose is to just be? To just be me. To be the me I was created to be?

My little man knows how to do that. And his contribution to this world just as he is, is enough. In fact, it is breathtaking.

La Passion. Zest. Exuberance. Fire. Intensity. Fervor. That. That to me sounds like the good life. La vie douce. Yes. Please.

(Fyi… this is little man’s favorite song. He knows truth when he hears it.)

Wonder 101

Seeing the world through the eyes of a child is a magical thing. Little ones delight in the smallest things; hearing a bird sing, touching grass for the first time, tasting an apple, smelling a flower. Oh how those moments are so very precious.

To be as children, seeing things for the first time is completely within the realm of possibility. A few things that can move us towards a life full of wonder and beauty :

Slowing down.
Paying attention.
Getting outside in nature.
Giving thanks .