I’ve reached an age that my adolescent self thought of as pretty old: 34. I remember as a pre-teen thinking that celebrities in their 30s were washed up. Why is she still making music (or movies, or whatever)? Doesn’t she know she’s not cool anymore? Ah, youth.
It’s been six weeks since my son was born. He’s gained more than 50% of his birth weight and has grown an inch in length. He’s beginning to outgrow some of his smallest clothes, and while I love watching him develop, I feel just a little sad packing away those tiny newborn-sized sleepers. He’s smiling more, which brings me so much joy, and I love it when we gaze at each other while I’m feeding him. He’s started to grasp things other than fingers, including occasionally my hair. He loves spending time on his tummy, especially on our chests, though he usually falls asleep during tummy time. He can lift his head and turn it from side to side (he’s been doing that for weeks now), and he can raise himself up on his forearms. I’m guessing it won’t be long until he starts crawling. He has my nose, cheeks, and ears; his dad’s eyes and smile; and both of our dimples.
“The world is a great mirror. It reflects back to you what you are. If you are loving, if you are friendly, if you are helpful, the world will prove loving and friendly and helpful to you. The world is what you are.”
—Thomas Dreier
This time of year is often described as stressful. Ask a friend or neighbor how she’s doing during the month of December, and her response is likely to include the word “busy.” But the holidays are only as stressful and busy as we make them. Today, in case you feel you need it, I’d like to give you permission to relax. Read more
About a year and a half ago, the hashtag #1st7jobs (or #firstsevenjobs) began making its way around Twitter as celebrities and others shared lists of their early work experiences. The idea, I think, was to show that where you begin does not dictate where you end up, and it takes hard work and trial and error to build the career and life you want. While there are certainly critics of that narrative, I found the hashtag to be an interesting exercise, and one worthy of further exploration than Twitter’s character limit would allow.