Mirror, mirror on the wall...
OK. I have had enough.
No, not of parenting or motherhood or the never ending to-do lists that exist in my head and on my fancy new iPhone 5. Although that is a lot and it has been a full moon week.
I have kind of had it with women.
Not all women, mind you, just the ones who say they are all about empowering women and then go and do the exact opposite of that. It hurts my feminist heart to no end when it looks like the thing that undermine's the status of women and our ability to actually ever be equals, is not men, it is other WOMEN!
Feminism.
At least that is how a lot of the world sees it.
If you call yourself a feminist, there is an automatic assumption that you are an opinionated, man-hating, bitch with an agenda. And you like to wear flannel...
Let me clarify a few things for you then.
I am VERY OPINIONATED.
I LOVE men, one in particular quite a bit actually.
On more than one occasion, I have indeed been called a BITCH. I am OK with that.
I HAVE an agenda. A BIG ONE!
And I live in Alberta, flannel is just not an option some days!
This week in my own fair {OK, fine, completely snow-covered!} city, feminists young and old (I am one of the old ones, in case you were wondering) are up in arms over being silenced by OTHER WOMEN. And by silenced, I mean deleted. The complete and utter removal of a whole Facebook conversation that happened in response to the marketing of an event that in an of itself was so incredibly patriarchal that at first most of us thought it was a joke.
I really want you to understand the context here and so I would like you to head over to Brittany's blog and read about this particular public relations fiasco (click the links within her post for the transcript of the erased Facebook posts). And I would like to say that it was Brittany who alerted me to this event in the first place and put the bug in a lot of ears about it's validity and intentions.
At first, I thought this might be a prank. What I understood the event to be was an all-male panel, moderated by a male host, discussing gender politics in the workplace (“the old boys network”) and providing career advice (“nuances of climbing the corporate ladder”) to a audience of women. Oh, and with an opportunity to donate to a men’s cancer charity.
Again, please CLICK HERE and take a moment to go and read her post, she makes some very excellent points about what the "default perspective" is in most anything in this world, which I thought was most insightful.
Here is the thing.
Gender issues are hot button issues. If you don't believe that, than you have not been paying attention to the US Presidential race lately and/or you many be living under a rock. Whenever there is a blatant line in the sand drawn regarding gender, things get heated. The conversation that happened the other night on this particular Facebook event page was no exception. I was kind of riveted to the page because I was amazed by the quality of the arguments and discussion points being made both about the event itself and about feminism in general. I am happy to also say that I made a few new friends that night!
I went to bed that night with lots of thoughts in my head. What I came to realize was that I was not completely opposed to the event. Quite a few of the men on the panel are ones that I have a lot of respect for and I think having a conversation with them about gender issues would make for an interesting lunch hour. I was sorely disappointed by the marketing of the event, as were many others and while I appreciate that words where changed, I did not believe for one minute that intent was. As one of the organizers so eloquently pointed out, she "hopes that anyone with gender issues can see past the penises on the panel and take away some valuable information..."
Hmmm....
Fast forward to the next morning and I awoke to another Facebook message informing me that all of that awesome conversation was completely deleted and that no one was able to post anything to the event wall anymore.
Say what?
The irony of this action was not lost on anyone, of this I can assure you.
The marketing company in charge of an event, being put on by the Edmonton chapter of Canadian Women in Communications, targeted to women, with the intent of talking about the glass ceiling and succeeding in the corporate world, DELETED all comments from women communicating their opinions about said event.
It was too much for my feminist brain to handle!
Silenced.
Being told, explicitly or implicitly, that what we had to say had NO VALUE.
Two steps back people. Two VERY BIG steps back!
And then today, this happened.
A blog post. Written by Tamara Plant of YouAreFierce.com (she is also on the Board of Directors for CWC in Edmonton and part of the committee behind the aforementioned event).
A post in which she is concerned with the toxic energy on the Internet this week and goes on to quote Jenny McCarthy on her rather simplistic view of "projected identification". Coles notes version, everyone is a mirror of you, if you hate yourself, you are going to hate others and vice versa, love yourself and then you will love others. The problem is that not 10 lines later, Tamara says that "All of this catty malicious bullshit needs to stop now. It is a reflection on you..."
But you just said that negative feelings are a mirror of myself? You calling people catty and malicious and full of BS is kind of toxic and negative. I am confused.
Maybe I just don't get how this mirror stuff works...? And while I realize that the Internet is a big place, in Edmonton this week, it really is not.
And then THIS happened.
Another blog post. Written by Zita Dube-Lockhart, one of the silenced.
Zita is probably one of the smartest women I know. Like UBER-smart people and she writes with all her bad-ass smartness backing her up. Seriously, go read her blog!
You SILENCED us. You CENSORED us. You TOLD US that our voices are irrelevant and that WE ARE MEAN PEOPLE for thinking differently from you.So yeah...we're pretty freaking pissed. And understandably so.There’s no “projection” here. There are only facts. You are accountable to your own damn actions- stop trying to blame us for your mistakes.I’ve said it before, in this discussion and in others, and I will say it again:The greatest trick patriarchy ever pulled was convincing women that we are each other’s enemies.And now I’ll add to that by saying, the greatest lie we’ve ever told ourselves is that we are not accountable for our own decisions and our own actions.
I get very confused and tongue-bite-y every time someone has a differing opinion than another person, or dares to call someone out for making a mistake (be it on social media or in real life) and then in the next breath is called a bully (or cyber-bully) for doing so. It has happened before on this very blog, simple because I said that NO, I do not actually have to BE NICE to or like everyone around me. I got called a lot of names and was maligned on social media as a bully. And I did not DELETE a single one of those comments! (See how that works around here, everyone gets an opinion, a voice.)
And then THIS happened.
A note was published on Facebook by one of the few men who waded into the original discussion. I don't know this man personally, but he just explained to me why I am so upset about this. Thank you Reece.
In my view, what Zita is speaking to is, to put it bluntly, antifeminism in action. As Andrea Dworkin put it so eloquently: “The breaking down of women into the insults used to describe women, the use of these insults to describe or intimidate or discredit, granting validity to these critiques of a female’s posture, pose, stance, attitude, or act, are all expressions of both antifeminism and woman hating.” We need look no further than the description of a woman as being “catty” to see an implicit act of dehumanization, suggesting that their activities are somehow animal-like and uncivilized, versus well-reasoned and intelligently argued.
Anti-feminism. The other A-word.
By women towards women.
Wow!
To anyone who has witnessed these exchanges over the last few days on Facebook and on Twitter, and who thinks that this is just a bunch of chicks getting our panties in a knot over nothing...
TAKE A LOOK IN YOUR MAGIC MIRROR!
Look at your daughter, your sister, your best friend, your co-worker, your mother. What would you do if someone silenced them for having an opinion? For speaking their mind? For not being afraid to stand up and say to someone, "HEY, what you are doing is wrong?"
What would you tell them if they had made a mistake? Don't worry honey, we'll just erase that or shove it under the rug, no one is going to look under there anyway? 'Cause, I hate to break it to you, but that is not how the internet works people!
And it is not how REAL LIFE works either.
I said in my previous post that I wanted to be an example to the younger generation. That I wanted to be a voice for women in my community and yes, on the interwebs too!
Tonight I am being that voice. I am speaking up and adding my thoughts and my words to the many who are stepping up to say that we won't stand for this kind of behaviour from anyone and that NO, you can not simply delete us with the press of a button.
My name is Natasha Chiam and I will not be SILENCED!
Will you?
**I will not erase any comments posted here, but I do reserve the right to edit any profanity or straight up hateful ones. Peace out y'all!**
The #good100 experiment
About a month ago I had a very long and interesting conversation on Twitter with a few people whom I respect and admire. At the end of this convo (which, in case you are wondering, was about gender equality and relationships), my Twitter pal @DebMerriam invited me to a fabulous local event. The Good Hundred Experiment.
In the words of the day's organizers, it was "An unsectored gathering of Edmonton’s savviest do-gooders, with the objective of connecting with future partners & collaborators, getting meaningful & actionable feedback on your project (from people who know what they're talking about) and being inspired by some of YEG's most bad ass do-gooders."
I was honoured to be invited and also wondered if in fact, I was sufficiently qualified as a do-gooder to attend this event. I mean, one look at the list of attendees and I was inspired (and somewhat intimidated) just reading their bios, what on earth would it be like actually being in a room with all these folks!
Well, I can tell you.
IT WAS AMAZING!!
Do you have any idea how many awesome people are doing good things in our city?
Let me give you a couple of examples.
There is Catherine from iHuman, a fabulous non-profit organization helping at risk youth through the arts. And if you head on over to THIS LINK, they have partnered with Telus Empower You and every Facebook Like and Share and every Tweet is a further $2 that Telus gives to the iHuman program. Get clicking people!
Then there is Joey from Knottycase.com. Joey and his brother are the amazing and HIGHLY energetic team behind this fantastic company and they make beautiful, unique and environmentally sustainable iPhone cases from salvaged and reclaimed woods. And the best part--all the manufacturing is done right here in Edmonton! The energy that flows off of this man is infectious and his intensity makes you believe wholeheartedly in what he is doing and then some. Not only is he an environmental do-gooder, he is a true DO-ER!
For me, though, the person who made the biggest impact on me (and what I see my role is as a do-gooder) was the one and only Brittney Leblanc. If you don't already know or follow Brittney on the tweeter, then get on that. This 26-year-old woman is smart, funny, civic-minded and so, so darn cute. And she is on a mission. Well, actually, she is on a couple of missions, but of everyone there I think I learned the most from her. Not necessarily about Brit (cause I kind of have the great privilege of knowing her already), but about what it means to be a woman who wants to make a difference in this city, and by extension, in this world.
Throughout the day's workshop we were discussing some of the BIG PICTURE themes that kept coming up within our smaller groups and not surprisingly, women's issues and women's engagement were biggies. The last round table discussion at the end of the day was to find your theme and discuss what is being done, what needs to be done and how to collaborate together to get things done around those themes. Seven women and two men sat at the Women's Issues table and what happened next was... well... to be perfectly honest, less than stellar. The conversation quickly moved to women's rights in regards to reproduction and birthing and all things mother-focused. And across the table from me, I could see Brittney bristling. And I knew why.
Brittney is not a mother. And neither were a couple of other folks at the table. And all we were talking about at the table were issues that may or may not affect mainly mothers. All day long, my 30-second pitch to people was about how I want to help women to embrace all sides of themselves and break out of the "I am just a mom" talk that we do oh, so, well, and here we were at this table, discussing birthing options, infant feeding options, and the usual rhetoric that ensues whenever someone brings up women's, or as it turns out, MOTHER issues! And for all the talking that we did, we did not even get close to answering any of the what needs to be done or how to collaborate questions and this was frustrating for a lot of us.
Later that night at the #good100party at the very cool Kazbar, Brittney, the incomparable Jennifer Banks and I sat down, had some super yummy hummus and had a chance to discuss this topic some more. And what Brittney said to me was this. "As a young woman, I want to have women in my city who are visible, who are making a difference and who I can look up to as role models."
And that is when it hit me. HARD.
I talk about being an advocate for women, but in reality I have been primarily using my voice as one for mothers. I seem to have forgotten the main tenet of my do-goodery, that before we are all mothers, we are women first! And Ladies, we are SO MUCH MORE than the sum of what we can do with our uteruses and our breasts!
Motherhood may be one of the most rewarding and at the same time difficult roles of all time, but to think that all that we are, all that we have learned in this life as a girl and then a woman, serves only to prepare us for that role is completely narrow-sighted (and somewhat patriarchal too). If we forget what we have accomplished or can accomplish and reduce ourselves to being "JUST a mom", not only does this do a disservice to us, but it also does a disservice to the generations of girls following us who need role models and strong women to look up to and see that being a voice for ALL of our community is possible, that being a woman means more than just getting paid the same wage as a man and that our opinions in all things, be it work or home or politics, MATTER.
Later that night, Jen sent me the link to this TED talk by Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook. Now while this talk is primarily about women in the workforce and why we don't see more of them in C-level jobs (CEO, COO, CFO, etc..) I believe the themes are kind of universal. Women need to step up more and sit at the damn table!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18uDutylDa4[/youtube]
What became very evident for me this past weekend is that I myself have been limiting myself and my voice. Lately, I have said (more often than I would like to admit) to people who ask me what I do, that I am a 'Mommy Blogger'. Now, you all know how I feel about these kinds of terms, but with the name Natural Urban Mama, it is kind of hard to escape this kind of labeling.
In my opinion, the #good100 experiment was a successful day on many levels. So many connections were made in that room and I foresee a lot more do-goodery forthcoming in our beautiful city. I know that another workshop is being planned for the spring, and I hope that I get the privilege of being invited once again.
Personally, my take-aways from the day were three-fold.
1 - I really need to open my eyes to all of the good things that are happening here and be an advocate for the city that I have called home for every one of my almost 41 years on this Earth! Like Brittney very eloquently said in her recent Pecha Kutcha presentation, I need to bragg more about where I am from! It's EDMONTON y'all and it is AWESOME!!
2 - I need to broaden my definitions of what being an advocate for women and children means to me and to those around me. I need to use my voice and my passion to inspire and empower more women to get involved and to be heard and to break out of their own self-imposed insular lives of 'just' this or 'just' that. My hope is that one day, maybe I will be one of the role models that the female generations to come are looking for and looking up to.
3 - I may need to rethink my personal brand. Is Natural Urban Mama all that she can be? Is this name, this site, still a true reflection of me and what I need to be to do #2. This is something that I am seriously pondering people and I may need to get your input about this in a future post.
So, that was my weekend. My brain is still spinning from all of it and I can't wait to follow up on the connections I made and the ones I want to make for some of the people who were at this great do-gooder event. I highly encourage everyone to look for the good things being done in your own communities and find a way, however big or small, to contribute.
"Do your little bit of good where you are;
it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world"
~Desmond Tutu
Natasha~
I am the Tony Stark of parenting!
I am a goddamn parenting genius! .
.
.
.
OK, fine. Slight exaggeration.
Maybe I just exude parental confidence. {While inwardly I am pulling my hair out strand by strand and sitting in a corner holding myself and rocking back and forth.}
Whatever the case may be, people ask me for advice all the time.
It ranges from prenatal questions all the way to potty training and back again. And for the record, I am definitely not an expert in any of these things by any conventional definition.
What I am is a mama. I have almost 6 years of seniority in this position and according to a recent personality test I took (more on that in a later post) I have an above average amount of behavioural adaptability. Which I think is just fancy talk for I just know how to go with the flow!
I also like to listen to my instincts. My gut, so to speak. And for the most part, (teensy bit of bragging here) my gut is rarely wrong.
Why am I telling you all this?
It started last week when my lovely friend and kicks-my-ass-weekly personal trainer, Jessica, asked me for some sleep advice for one of her 5 month old twins. One was sleeping in his crib just fine and the other one just could not do it without Jessica being there with him.
Now of course, my first reaction when anyone asks me for baby sleep advice is to laugh out loud, because, as you may know, I have not had a full night of uninterrupted sleep since December of 2006.
My second reaction is to ask more questions. How does he usually sleep? What does he need? What (or who) is his comfort? Jess answered all of these and the main theme that I uncovered was that he needed HER. The problem is that she needed her sleep.
So, in my infinite parental wisdom, I said, "Give him your shirt."
Huh?
Here is the way I understand it. Babies imprint on us. Yes, imprint, just like in Twilight with Jacob and baby Renesmee. It's an instant and forever bond and a big part of that has to do with our senses. Touch, taste, hearing, smell and sight. So when Jessica told me that Baby R needed her and she needed to be sleeping in her own bed, I said give him your shirt.
Because it smells like her. The first scent that he ever smelled, his soothing imprint, his mama.
So she did. She gave him her "I just taught two fitness classes, this smells A LOT like me" top and a few hours later I got this tweet.
https://twitter.com/infinitefit/status/256248507684491264
And yesterday, she texted me this sweet (sweaty shirt) photo!
It has been a week and he is still sleeping at nights all snuggled up with his mama's shirt.
Therefore, I believe this makes it official.
I AM a genius!
Patent-pending of course, but in the meantime feel free to use my very scientific GTFTS "technique" (which by the way, I have also used with some success with toddlers too)!
Happy Sleepy Times Mamas,
Natasha~
Moments...
Being a mom is the most amazing job/vocation/calling/responsibility/LIFE in the entire world. Except when it isn't.
And then you just want to crawl into a hole or if you happen to be having a particularly awful mama moment in public, have the ground open and swallow you up, right then and there!
BUT...
Then you read something that makes you sit up and think, THAT! That is the kind of mom, no... correction, the kind of PERSON, that I want to be. All the time. Every day.
Earlier tonight I read a note on my friend Stefani's Facebook page and with her permission, I am posting it here.
To the parents of the autistic girl in the party store:
Hi. It's okay. No, really; it's okay. I know your daughter swatted my baby, who was sleeping in my sling, but I'm not mad. Babies are fascinating. They're people, but tiny. They have little hands and little feet and huge eyes. They are delicate, yes, but your daughter either didn't remember or didn't know that. And that's okay. It might come with time. Don't apologise. I get it. She just wanted to see him. She was excited. So as you tried to hurry off, to get your daughter away from my baby before she woke him or hurt him, I called to her.
"Hey... Hey, sweetie. Do you want to see the baby?" You froze, and then apologised some more. It must be hard. You must have people getting angry with you all the time. But not me.
"Here, look. He's sleeping. Isn't he cute?"
You daughter's face lit up in excitement as she swatted near his face. You stopped her hand, I dodged a little and came back to centre.
"Gentle, sweetie." I brought my baby close. Close enough for her to really see him. She tilted her head and looked at the ceiling and then back somewhere over my shoulder. Then she smiled.
I haven't been there, but I understand. I know you will struggle, your daughter will struggle, her brother will struggle. Some people will get angry at you when your daughter yells at dinner, when she won't sit still or runs where she shouldn't.. When she gets too excited and swats a baby...
But not me.
..................
Because those moments when you want to run and hide, when you think the world is looking and judging, they are just that.
Moments.
And sometimes all it takes is someone else to see that moment, recognize it for what it is and make it better.
Like Stefani did today.
<3
Winter {babywearing} is coming...
I woke up to two very excited children earlier this week Why you ask?
Because...
"MOMMY, MOMMY, MOMMY, IT'S SNOWING!!!"
And sure enough, it was October 10th, 2012 and big sticky snowflakes were blanketing our yard! {Too soon, Mother Nature, too soon!}
With chillier weather on the way, the most common babywearing question I get is, "How do I continue to wear my baby in the winter months and keep us both warm and toasty?"
The wonderful news is that with babywearing becoming more and more a part of every family's parenting arsenal, babywearing manufacturers are picking up on the fact that there is a need for products that work in all kinds of weather.
So, without further ado, here are some great outerwear options for your cold weather babywearing needs.
Carrier Covers.
These are simply covers that you can put over both the baby and the carrier to provide an extra layer of warmth to your little bundle.
There are quite a few different brands that make them and they are a good option when your main concern is protecting your baby (and your pretty carrier) from the elements. Most of these are meant for use with front carriers and snap on or use Velcro to attach to the straps of your carrier.
Of all the carrier covers out there, I think the one that makes the most sense and is perhaps the most versatile is the Kowalli. The one arm-hole "toga" design and simple drawstring closures at top and bottom make it a very easy cover to use with pretty much any carrier. And I like that it is just as easy to use it when you are carrying baby on your tummy or on your back.
The Kowalli is made in the USA of weather-treated Polartec fleece, repels rain and snow, is weather rated to -10 Degrees Celsius and retails for around $70-75.00.
Babywearing Ponchos
Another great option to cover up both you and baby is a babywearing poncho. This was my favourite way to keep my babies and I all warm and cozy without too much extra bulk. Babywearing ponchos come in all shapes and sizes as well, from the 100% virgin wool Mamaponcho, to an easy no-sew DIY version. For practicality and ease of use I prefer one that wraps around both mama and baby versus one that has two head holes and that you have to wrangle both of you into. You can find some great options for babywearing ponchos from Babyette or from our own local Cosy Baby Happy Mommy.
{I can't be sure, but I think she may be trying to give me the finger!}
Babywearing Jackets and Vests
Still one of the most popular outerwear or layering pieces for babywearing is the Peekaru Vest. This soft Polartec fleece vest slips easily over any kind of baby carrier and keeps everyone cozy and warm. It comes in a variety of colours and sizes for both men and women and can be worn for front and back wearing as well.
{I look so much like my mother in this picture, it is totally freaking me out!}
If you want to go all out with wearing your baby in the winter, there are a few different options for full babywearing jackets. I personally have never owned one, but I know lots of people who have and they love them. In my opinion, the key points to think about when looking for a babywearing jacket are; A) Is it a jacket that you can wear when you are NOT babywearing, B) Is it something that is easy to get into and out of by yourself, C) Can you use it for front and back babywearing, and of course, D) Cost.
At the top of the price range you will find the fabulous {before, during and after} M Coat and the equally wonderful MAMAPARKA from Moa Po. Both of these are Canadian-made, so you know that they will be able to handle even the coldest of days. They do come with a higher price tag, but the versatility of these jackets makes it worth it for some. The M Coat comes in at $385.00 and the Mama Parka is around $425.00. You can also check out this link to one of my favourite retailers for other babywearing jacket options as well.
{The MAMAPARKA from Moa Po. Made in Montreal, Canada}
For those who are looking for a more traditional babywearing jacket, an Amauti is a beautiful option. The Amauti is the cultural and intellectual property of the Inuit people and therefore no pattern is commercially available and you will not (usually) find one in any stores. If you are lucky enough to know or find an Inuit seamstress you may be able to have one custom made for you. The Amauti is different than the other babywearing jackets in that it is both your jacket AND your baby carrier all in one. The back of the jacket is actually a pouch and your child (up to about age 3) fits right into it and is secured into place by colourful straps on the outside of the jacket. If I could go back and do it all again, and given that I had two winter-born babies, I would totally invest in one of these (and truth-be-told, probably a Mama Parka too).
{My friend, and local Doula/IBCLC, Pam Davey, being worn by her mama in an Amauti, circa 1975.}
One last thing...
Babywearing outerwear aside, I would also like to take a minute and mention briefly what both you and baby should wear beneath your baby carrier. Your carrier itself is providing both you and baby with at least one layer of coverage and you will both be sharing your body warmth, so the main concern is making sure that neither one of you is overheating, overdressed or in something that is too bulky. Layers are best for both of you, and investing in a good fleece baby bunting suite (like these ones from MEC) is the perfect outerwear not only for babywearing, but also for keeping baby warm, yet not too bulky in the car seat. Use baby leg warmers to keep little arms and legs warm and feel free to throw a pair on your arms too for an extra layer of warmth.
Now, off with you all!
Winter is coming...
Suit up Mamas!
Happy {Winter} Babywearing!
Natasha~
Thankful for silliness and sinus medication.
I am in a bit of a fog, so please forgive me. I have a head cold, I have already taken the night-time meds, and I may be a bit delirious!
And for the past two days, I have also been {finally} finishing up my books and accounting for the store.
To say that I am bug-eyed, number crunched and reconciled completely OUT is a severe understatement.
Although I have to say that I am 99.2% DONE and ready to pass it on to my accountant.
That being said...
To further procrastinate some more take a break earlier, I headed over to @schmutzie's blog and saw this post!
And I cracked up BIG time!
So, in honor of her and because I am high on cold medication.
Here I am in my #HideousSelfie glory!!
I think the sinus cold bags under my eyes really takes it to a new level, don't you?
Good Night All!
Natasha~
something I am SO thankful for...
My kids still nap.
THANK GOD, the Goddess, Mother Earth, Allah, Buddha and everyone and everything else that is divine and holy!!!
Because it means I can still nap too.
And I really, REALLY needed one today!
All rested and refreshed,
natasha~
Giving Thanks
It's October. And for some reason Thanksgiving is THIS coming weekend. Which seems odd to me because 9 years ago I got married on Thanksgiving weekend, but my anniversary is not until next weekend.
And this whole not doing Daylight Savings time until November thing is throwing me for a loop too. We set our alarms a half-hour earlier this morning and the kids refused to believe that it was indeed time to get up, because it was still so dark outside.
Anyways...
As I was saying, it is October and because I like a challenge and because I like my friends AND because I really do have so much to be thankful for in my life, I am joining Zita and Kevin and blogging all month long about THANKFULNESS.
And forgive me if this is not really in the spirit of things, but man, oh, man, am I thankful that September is DONE! That was a long, hard month and it zoomed by so quickly that I don't even remember most of it!
We have all finally settled into our routines and things have calmed down and I feel like I can start to breath again.
Which brings me to my thankfulness today.
My kids are in a fabulous dance/yoga class. The teacher is fantastic, the yoga studio where it is held is wonderful and my kids are learning about different cultures and cultural dances and movement and they are both loving it.
And in their class is an amazing little girl. She is 3 years old and has the energy of at least 3 other kids. She is bright and fun and GO, GO, GO.
And she is losing her hair.
Her long strawberry blond locks are falling out because she has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Her mama told me yesterday that her chances for remission are very good (like 97% good), but she still has 2 years of chemotherapy ahead of her.
I have been thinking about this little girl for the past 24 hours and the thing that I can't get out of my mind is her spirit and her energy. And then today, it hit me and I finally understood why I could not stop thinking about her.
She is 3 years old!
She is like my own little girl. She runs, she plays, she sings, she dances, she fights with her older sibling and at times she does not listen to her mama and gets into trouble.
She is just a kid, being a regular kid , doing regular kid things and who, on some days, also happens to have to deal with some highly irregular cancer treatment stuff.
I am thankful to be able to see this little person's incredible joie de vivre once a week. Because that is what it is like for most three year olds, right? The sheer JOY OF LIVING!
Not the constant worrying about every little thing and all the craziness that we subject ourselves to and the rushing from here to there and back again, just to get it all done, just to have days or months or years fly by without really living them.
Today I am thankful for that little whirlwind of a girl, who is a reminder to me to celebrate the JOY that is this life I am living and all the wonderful (big and small) that is in it!
Natasha~
And baby turkeys, I am also thankful for baby turkeys!