After I did my second post on what to read with your kids for Black History Month (you can read the first installment here), I started to think about what we adults could be reading. Sue Monk Kidd’s The Invention of Wings came up when I searched for historical fiction related to slavery in America.
As I started to read it, I got pulled in pretty early on, which is unusual for me – I usually have to warm up to a book, sometimes for a long time, before I really get into it.
We cannot selectively numb emotions, when we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions. – Brené Brown
As meditation has grown to a one- to two-hour part of my waking hours many days, the obvious question is, how do I fit it in?
I’ve had to give up or reduce the time I spend doing three things:
1. Mindless Screen Time
2. Crappy Sleep
3. Pleasure Reading
As you can see, for the most part, there hasn’t been a huge loss.
Pictured above, the scene of the crime. We don’t co-sleep with the baby, but I added him to make the scene feel less threatening.
Towards the end of this past summer, I got a weighted blanket. It was around the same time I saw that guy with the weighted vest and wondered why anyone would add to the weight they were carrying, metaphorically OR physically. But anxiety was kicking my butt and I was exhausted at night, but often crawling up the walls.
If you’re familiar with weighted blankets, you’ll know they aren’t cheap, which is why I had one on my wish list for a very long time before clicking purchase. They differ from comforters and duvets – they are smaller and come in a range of weights. There is info online to help you calculate how much weight you need depending on your size.
I went whole hog with a 20-pound blanket. I thought I would get the full size, which would just cover the top of our queen mattress with no overhang, and that the Chaplain and I could share it.
She’s ten today.
This is the kid who made me breakfast this past week without being asked.
Who cares for her baby brother without a second thought, a special bond they’ve had since his birth.
She is a graceful dancer, a thoughtful and caring person. 
When things going smoothly at home, it’s often related to her – an idea she had to keep everyone occupied, or because she helped prepare a meal or snack. She is one of just a couple kids in our house who cleans up without being asked, and is a quiet and capable helper.
This is a kid who needs her alone time and often retreats to her room to play or read.
She’s expressive. She’s the one who often best knows how to read people, intuiting what they want or need.
She’s grown up this year, gaining maturity and starting to look and act like a Big Kid. Really, she’s the one who made us a Big Family and put us out of our depth in the first place, then helped us realize that we could, in fact, do this. She continues to be the grease on the wheels, the quiet force that keeps things moving.
We love her so much.
