Contemplative Day...

photo by Barbara Moore

This is one of those days when I wish I could do an internet Vulcan mind meld with you so you would know what I am thinking without the struggle of words. Sometimes sentence structure is just not the way to express emotion.


This morning I got up after a less than restful night (hello, hot flashes) and went to my computer. I found this post on Jessica Sprague's blog and it set my brain in motion. We have all been there. The struggle to find balance in our lives.

I find that I am constantly learning more and more about balance. Just when you get one area balanced, a light shown on another area that needs some work. You know how it is when you paint a room in your house and then every other room starts screaming for some freshening up as well? Yeah, like that.

What has helped me tremendously is other women being honest and sharing their struggle. One advantage to my blog reading obsession, is feeling connected to other women who are facing the same issues that I am. Their stories can give you the opportunity to say, "Me too!" or "I have never looked at it that way" or " I have been in that place and can share what helped me". We have the opportunity to reach out an understanding heart, a supportive hand or a reassuring shoulder.


This comes on my son's Arrival Day. In an adoptive family, your Arrival Day is the anniversary of your arrival into your family. It is as important as your birthday. Sixteen years ago, I had to learn to be a mom to children instead of a child. I had to learn to embrace blue as well as pink. I began the journey of dealing with a boy which is so very different than dealing with a girl. And now I am learning how to be a mom to a teenaged young man. That is a challenge! Even then, there was an internet community to help in the uncharted waters of parenting, adoption and international culture.


I want to thank the women in blog land that share their struggles. It is enormously brave to put your vulnerabilities out there for the world to examine. Check out Brene Brown, Kelly Rae Roberts, Teresa Collins, Ali Edwards and Heidi Swapp who post about their struggles with balance.

I want to thank the women in my "real life" that share their struggles and support me in mine. Thank you Steff, Barbara, Angela, and Alleene.

We are in this together for a reason.