When the world turns still,
the hushing, chilling pall of snow
laid gently on the air,
the muting of sound, and rush, and ever-present urgency of next,
because Now, suddenly though softly, grabs attention,
I remember to pray:
“Wow” for beauty that eases the tightness in my chest and thoughts;
“Thank you” for moments of awe that let me stop in just this single frame of time and be;
“Please” for a lesson that will carry on,
beyond the melting of tiny crystal
that refract a truth I need
when the world is not so still.
In early 2011 my family moved our home, temporarily, from New Jersey to Milan, Italy. In the process I quit what had been my dream job conducting policy-directed social science research, to focus on my other dream job, raising our two young children. The three-year adventure was exciting, exhausting, disorienting, fulfilling, and countless other contradictions. It also birthed in me a desire to share my reflections on life's joys and challenges with anyone who cares to reflect with me. Now that we have returned to the US I'm finding that the new perspective I gained in Europe has come with me, and gives me a whole new way of interacting with my home. There's still so much to learn and share! I hope you'll share the journey, and add your own lessons to my daily education.
Faith, Family, & Focaccia 