Below are there titles and summaries of blog posts that I never finished. I feel like there are little nuggets in each that I care to remember and share for posterity, so I will post them in mini-version here.
Okay, so where did we land?
A 2017 check in, notable changes: baby that walks, a kid in the pre-k lottery, a husband that left his established career to pursue a graduate degree and new road forward, and a me with a diagnosis of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. It was a summary and reflection on how far we have come and where we are going with extra focus on continual change but an underlying joy.
Attending Funerals with My Children
This was a post about the five funerals I have attended since becoming a mom. The highlights- at four of those funerals I held an infant in my arms while looking into a open casket (talk about unavoidable self reflection on the matters of life and death), comforting my son as he grapples with loss, and notes about unspoken agreement with my husband about how to support each other in these events. The general vibe? Immeasurable love and a good bit of sadness.
The Name You Carry
This about seeing the first pictures of my daughter's namesake. Summary- I had only ever heard stories about the woman whose name my daughter carries, but (during a funeral) I saw the first pictures and was reminded of the excitement and weight of naming our children. There is a feeling of guilt if the chosen name only comes from one side of the family, but that there is also an absoluteness about the name choice upon getting to know your child over time- its like "Of course that is your name! This is who you are! You couldn't be anyone else!" I also love looking at my cousins, nieces, and nephews and knowing that their name and identity is directly connected to someone worth honoring with a name.
