Weekend Roundup, November 17, 2017: Thanksgiving Countdown Edition

Well, howdy. It’s been a long time since I’ve put together a “Weekend Roundup.” The last one went out before Halloween and it’s practically Thanksgiving.  Not that it matters.  The best thing about this writing gig is that I’m the boss of me. I’m also not getting paid, so there’s that.

I did post something on Monday, something fun and carefree.  But really, I started working on it well before Halloween. That’s how long it took to push publish. When writing about nothing of substance is overwhelming, it time for a wee break.  (It was a “favorite things” post, by the way. You can read it here.)

I’m going to be honest and just come out and say it: It’s been dicey around here lately.  You may recall our middle guy’s story. If not, I’m happy to share it here and here. With the excitement of Halloween, or maybe it was the cooler, rainier weather, whatever the reason, Steven-in-the-middle has had a rough time of it. When he’s having a hard time, binge watching The Americans on Amazon trumped writing every single time.  Also, I was getting sick of my own voice.

Enough of the self-loathing; it’s unbecoming! Who needs a Debbie Downer? I’m thankful for this space. And honestly, even the simple act of sharing the “favorite thing”post this morning on the Hope*Writer Facebook page was a huge pick-me-up.  It’s good to be back.  (Happy sigh.)

For the newbie around here: “Weekend Roundup” is what happens when I share the work of fellow Hope*Writers. Hope*Writers is one of the online writing communities I belong to. I usually write a little ditty about each essay. I’m going to try to hold back so I can get to the good stuff.  I have book club tonight, after all, and dinner won’t cook itself. That’s a lie, when have I ever let responsibilities such as dinner, laundry and dishes cut into writing time?

The first piece is actually a poem by Linsday Hausch.  Oh man, God is good.  Talk about meeting me exactly where I’m at. Lidnsay’s poem is for kids about making choices.  I’m going to share it with Steven.  I needed it too. Anyone who’s heart needs a bit of calming will appreciate Lindsay’s beautiful poetry. You can read it here.

I love, love, love this next essay by Kristin Vanderlip.  It’s about giving thanks when life is hard.  Boy life is hard sometimes, beautiful yet hard. I tend to be a glass half-full kind of gal. Except when it isn’t (insert eye roll). Here ya go.

Are you waiting for a miracle? I am. Lea Turner writes about waiting for a miracle for her little boy’s heart.  So great! I’ve written a bit about waiting for the restoration of Steven’s eyes and Lauren’s ears, and my own hearing.  I don’t have the time and space for all the links.  If you’re curious, check out the “Eyes and Ears” section of the blog. But first, check out Lea’s essay, “What I Learned While Waiting For A Miracle.” I’m glad I stumbled upon her words. Be encouraged.

The next essay is by Glenna Marshall; it’s for the Christian who battles anxiety.  Like Glenna, my own anxiety (and I suspect Steven’s) doesn’t always have a trigger. My neck gets tight, pinched even, and my shoulders throb, my body telling me I’m stressed. But I can’t put a finger on the stressor because life is going well and I don’t feel weird about a single thing.  I applaud Glenna for bravely writing about anxiety in hopes that in doing so, anxiety will lose its stigma, especially for men and women of faith, those who trust God with their whole hearts yet still… Anyway, I’ve linked to tips and tools for anxiety before, but I especially appreciated this one.  Glenna’s essay is water to a dry and weary land.  I included it here.

One of my favorite people is B. B and I both have boys in third grade. One of the ways she encourages me along in my parenting and faith journey is through all sorts of book recommendations. B’s suggestions are gold. I’m always running to the library to pick up something from the reserve shelf.  Once the book finds its way home, I have two special baskets on the bottom shelf of the white bookshelf in the living room exclusively for library books.  Unfortunately, my library basket is out of control and I rarely make it through all of the books, even after renewing the heck out of them.

One of the books B told me about is Mother & Son: The Respect Effect by Emerson Eggerichs. But I never had the chance to crack it open.  You might wonder where I’m going with this.  I have a point to make.  Trust me.  You see, today I happened upon Karen Gauvreau’s blog post, Moms and Sons: Respect is the Secret Sauce. Karen is hilarious. She summed up Eggerichs’ book quite nicely, which works well for me since I forgot to put another request in with the library.

I love lighthearted yet serious blog posts.  And I love anything by Mary Carver. Each time I read something by Mary, my mind wanders to American author Raymond Carver.  They aren’t related, not that I know of.  I met Raymond Carver’s widow, Tess, on a chartered boat to Victoria B.C. from Bellingham, WA, back when I was a college student at Western.  This is a random point to make, even for me.  Back to Mary’s essay.  I appreciate Mary’s wisdom. Her post is about boundaries, healthy boundaries, a particularly helpful concept to sort through before the holidays. Heck, boundaries are always healthy and necessary; it’s just that I suck at them! I have the tendency, a twisted obligation, to fix everything and help everyone even though I can’t and shouldn’t. Then I get burned out and can’t help anyone. Onward and upward or whatever.

I hope you enjoyed this almost-Thanksgiving edition of the “Weekend Roundup.” Dinner’s ready, and if I don’t get to it soon, I’ll be late for book club (again). Have a lovely weekend!

Edited to add: It is Saturday. Emily and I are going to see Into The Woods in a few hours at a tiny yet magnificent local theatre just north of Seattle. Dorina Lazo Gilmore, shared a link to an essay this morning on Hope*Writers and Glory Writers.  I couldn’t resist adding it to the “Weekend Roundup.” Dorina writes about the intersection of grief and hope.  This particular essay was featured on (in)Courage.  Dorina’s essay is about the first few Thanksgivings after the death of her husband to cancer.  I dare you to read “An Unexpected Feast: When Grief Meets Gratitude” without Kleenex. I’m still feeling all the feels, having read it this morning while my coffee was brewing. Well done, Dorina, well done! (Hint: Dorina’s not a Debbie Downer. Her writing is infused with hope!)