Where I’m from

I am from a baby blanket named “Bee,” a whole bag of chips eaten on the way home from the grocery store, and piles of dress up clothes.

I am from the big Texas sky, the smell of pine needles on a hot day.

I am from singing in public and thinking about how your actions affect others, from Randy, Marnie, Lolly, and Ann, Ruth, Jane, and Mary, and always staying to help clean up.

I am from easily angered and can’t hold a grudge.

From “we believe government should take care of people” and somewhere on the Bell curve.

I am from the Congregationalists and Unitarian Universalists, who see God in each person.

I am from Western Europe via Texas, Christmas morning caramel pecan rolls, and ramen noodles.

From the dad who was willing to catch my puke in his hands, the psychologist mom who became a yogi, and the sister who so proudly marches to the beat of her own drum.

I am from all the rooms in all the houses of the people in my family who hang onto things, “just in case.”

—

We did this exercise as part of my prenatal yoga teacher training. It was a lovely way, in our small group of seven (six students and one teacher), to learn about each other and ourselves. Read the original poem, or get the template.

Rose, thorn, & bush

When I worked as a camp counselor, we sometimes played a game with the kids during evening circle time called “Rose, thorn, & bush.” Each person got to share a rose (great thing about their day), thorn (hard thing about their day), and bush (random thing about their day). I’m bringing it here because I can’t seem to get to the place where I’m inspired to share a fully formed post about some thoughtful topic. Here we go…

Rose: I finished a fantastic prenatal yoga teacher training this past weekend. I love, love, love regular yoga, but learning to share it with women in their childbearing year was EVEN BETTER. I so enjoyed my dear classmates and teachers, and our final time together felt more like a slumber party than training. I also think that the way my personal practice looks (gentle, restorative, introspective) lines up really well with being able to share it with mamas. I begin teaching a prenatal class on Sunday nights at 7:30 on June 21, and I am psyched out of my mind!

Thorn: I wrote a job description for a job that I wanted to have in the group where I am currently a postdoc. They created the job, interviewed me, and gave it to someone else (whose fit for the job remains to be seen). They are allowing me to stay on as a postdoc this year, doing the work that I love. But the whole situation has led to some deep, careful thoughts about what I want for my life and career, both short and long term. It’s scary and hard to do this kind of emotional work.

Bush: Temporary tattoos, folks. Like a six year old, I am so into them right now. So much less commitment, but just as cool as the real thing. They’re not just the cartoonish, gumball machine prizes of our youth anymore either. Tattly and Tattify are just two companies that have amazing, grown-up designs. My high school BFF came in town, and we totally fooled a few people with these beauties:

Do you have a rose, thorn, and bush?