5 Things to Tell You // Spring Break

A list of happy things & a blessing for you

This week is my kid’s spring break so I am going to keep it short today with a list of some bookish things that are bringing me joy. The weather is absolutely perfect here with warm temps and sunshine all week! I hope, wherever you are, that the sun is shining too.

1. Libraries // storytime with monster puppets! free books! a tank full of tropical fish! a glass elevator that we pretend belongs to Charlie! I’m just thankful for our beautiful local libraries and the escape they offer us when school is closed.

2. Rechenka’s Eggs // it was a little strange (for this ex-vangelical) to not attend a single Holy Week service last week, but we did make sure to read my favorite book by Patricia Polacco about a sweet Babushka, her friendly goose, and an Easter miracle.

3. Podcast: The Road to Resilience // I heard about this podcast from the book What my Bones Know by Stephanie Foo, about her diagnosis and treatment of C-PTSD. She referenced this specific episode, the Long Arm of Childhood Trauma, because it featured the therapist (Dr. Jacob Ham) who helped her make leaps and bounds in her healing journey. Like the book, this episode discusses childhood abuse and neglect, but ultimately offers hope and healing. Since my kids are home all day, I’ve been staying up too late watching shows & listening to podcasts after they go to bed.

4. The Power // Speaking of shows, I read this book when it came out in 2017 and loved it so I was very excited when I saw that they made it into a series starring Toni Collette! The premise (girls having an evolutionary power to discharge electricity through their hands) may seem hokey, but the resulting conversations around gender, power, violence, and society are SO interesting! So far it’s followed the book pretty well, but I can see that they are already trying to smooth some of the edges. But for now I like it, and even though it is dark it’s not keeping me up at night like Handmaid’s Tale! A fun spring break binge.

5. Turning Red // Not book related, but I watched this again with my kids yesterday and it made me so happy. I love everything about it: the tween friendships, the nostalgia, the animation, the boy band, the red panda, ugh it’s just all so cute and hilarious. And it’s one of those movies that I just feel so freaking lucky to be able to show my girls. How lucky we are to be alive right now.

*Spring Time Joy*

We are coming to the end of Aries season, so here is a blessing inspired by the Emperor card:

May you be a strong mountain - steady, lionhearted, and sure. The Sun doesn’t need permission to rise, the great Oak doesn’t ask for advice…why should you? May you trust the wisdom inside you. And may your decisive action make the world a better place.