So, I made a project out of “noticing,” noticing what made me smile and delighted me. It became a summer project. As it turned out, many of the things I noticed were elements and experiences in nature.

Over the recent winter break my daughter and I were home more than usual and out of our now “regular” routine. Add in sweets, treats, bright lights, late nights and more excitement…. It is a recipe for something but not usually for ease and connection. Then this happened:

Among the many lessons I learned (or relearned) as a new parent were:

This is a soul stretching journey for which we need layers of support! And yet we live in a culture that often leaves new parents, whether by birth or adoption, isolated.

How do we show regard or make a shift from a mindset of expecting or demanding respect from our children to shifting towards showing regard and what the value is in doing that.