Musings

We recently watched The Polar Express as a family. I remember loving the slideshow of it as a kid--the elementary school librarian would show it each year before Christmas. Our oldest daughter is four and we've had many conversations this year about Santa. As over-analyzers, Matt and I can't just go with the flow and try to convince her that Santa is real. Many talk about the "magic" of Santa, and how they don't want to ruin that for their kids. I'm not here to argue about what you should tell your kids about Santa, but I do want to share my thoughts on this "magic" business. Our daughter, like most four-year-olds, is really into pretending. She also loves watching shows and reading books. Often, she gets that hopeful sparkle in her wide eyes and asks things like, "Are superheroes real?!" or "Are unicorns real?" On a basic developmental level, she's forming an important life skill of being able to differentiate between wh...

Sometimes I don't feel much. Life feels like a continuously expanding to-do list, and I get in "task mode" and wonder why I want to pull away from everything. In the moment I struggle to put my finger on it, but I know I need a break. And then something awakens my senses and it's the epitome of refreshment. Last night, it was listening to Spiegel im Spiegel by Arvo Part , the song I walked down the aisle to, which Matt and I often listened to in our little studio apartment in Chicago. It also reminded me of the times I picnicked at the Pritzker Pavilion while listening to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on amazing summer days in the city. There's something about old memories that help me be less detached from myself. As I talked to Matt about this, he said something along the lines of, "that's why art is so human." Because it reminds us that we're not just here to do tasks and stay alive. Art seems like an extra, because it's not ...