April 24, 2014

Living

So after the "Uncertain" post I wrote, I've had a lot of opportunities to press in and experience big and small uncertainties with more curiosity and less need to know for sure how things would turn out.  I'm so grateful for the amazing and beautiful life I get to live. It's astounding.  Here are some highlights from the rest of February through today:

Ice skating with Abby

Finally got new shoes!

Went to the very edge of Golden Gate Park with the fam. Breathtaking! (See Matthew and Noah walking out there?)


 Racing Noah (he won).

Reuniting after ten years with my dear friend (and first college roomie back in the day), Jenny!

Teeter tottering with Abby. She left me hanging up there so she could get this picture.  

Matty and me in PARIS. Not kidding.

Matty and me in LONDON, my favorite city in the world so far, and this, my first time to Europe in my life!  Here we are in front of the Globe Theatre.  Oh yes, I geeked out. And Matty still loves me. He even took me to a Shakespeare play while in London. I feel SO SO SO LOVED.

Home again, and I was inspired to finish up this quilt made with Liberty of London fabrics. I started it when we lived in Princeton. Just needs some finishing touches now.

And these are only a handful of moments and images of two months spent living life to the fullest.  I got to see things I've studied for many years and longed to see in person, I got to snuggle my kids, and be reunited with them after over a week apart (a first), I got to be alone with Matthew for days and days and we got to find our way around London, Paris, and Dublin together.  Cappuccinos, laughs, white knuckles during (light) turbulence on (long) flights, dizzy jet-lagged days, going away and coming home.  All of it a gift. I actually thought to myself while we were in Europe that this was so amazing I wondered if it was too good to be true, like we'd crash on the way home (I worried we'd crash on the way there too, since even going seemed too good to be true, but we made it). The fear that latches on to every experience of excitement and joy is starting to be ripped away, proven false, emptied of its power.  No illusions of perfection or safety take its place, but rather healthier willingness to let the hard realities be what they are and live ANYWAY.  What a tremendous couple of months these have been.  More than I could have hoped or imagined.