Gratitude Reminder

My maternity leave so far has been very sweet and a reminder of all blessings and dreams that have been granted to my family in the last two months.  It at times has seemed overwhelming, but taking this time to just slow down and enjoy a new life in a new house in a new year seems like a blessing that we have yearned for in the last two years.

My word for 2013 is "engage."  I feel like God has granted me the opportunity after a very laborious 2012 to reap the harvest of all the work from last year.  In times of enjoying harvest I go back and reread books that have moved me and pointed me to grow deeper in my relationships and the beauty of life in general.  One of these books I revisited after becoming a parent for a second time was Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. As a social worker and professor that has professionally studied the concept of shame and vulnerability, Brene Brown's Ted Talks, books, and blog Ordinary Courage remind me that being in relationship with people means engaging and taking risks.  "We are wired for connection," she often states in her work. This is also the case in parenting. I share with you Brene's parenting manifesto and the ideology I continue to live out with Shyla and Asher, blending creativity, vulnerability, joy with the idea of molding 2 curious minds and hearts: