Boxes and hats. What box do I fit in? What hats do I wear? Because as much as we hate to be typecast, it makes life much more straightforward. Here are a few: Mom. Wife. Daughter. Sister. Friend. Sailor. Baker. Laundress. Vacuum cleaner operator. (Crap. The vacuum cleaner broke.) Writer. Editor. Reader. Walker. Faith seeker. Rickshaw driver. Dishwasher. Tea drinker. Whole foods cook and consumer. Wine, beer, and hot rum toddy connoisseur. Palm tree seeker. Tropical dreamer.
I live aboard our 36' Carver Aft Cabin powerboat with my husband, Hans, and our two daughters, Freja and Matilda. Hans is an ER doctor; Freja is an energetic preschooler (is there any other kind?), and Matilda toddles through each day trying her hardest to imitate the drunken sailors she sees stumbling down the dock that is her sidewalk. I spend my days working hard to keep the girls happy, fed, and well-rested . . . and I try to do the same for myself.
I used to spend a lot of energy on high-stress interests: politics, an office job, getting stuff done, but I've thrown in the towel. Or perhaps the towel fell out of my hand - the hand that was too tired to hold it up after chasing around two small children all day. Instead, I'm channeling my energy into the here and now. I'm focusing on making my days calm, happy, and purposeful so, in turn, I can be a good citizen.
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