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Listen (& Wrap Hammocks)

Last year, at this time of year, I told myself my word of 2017 was LISTEN. Listen to others. Listen to myself. Like really listen.

Image of fall scenery from a mountaintop with a blue lake in the distance. Tan skin bespectacled Asian woman with dark brown hair up in a bun is facing towards the lake with a sleeping toddler on her back in a green striped buckle carrier; the hood is up securing a sleepy head.


Be Present.
Be Focused.
Be Reflective.
Image looking down at hiking boots and navy pants standing in fall foliage and a fallen trunk of a birch tree.


Some days I listen more than others. The last couple of months we had some really challenging weeks. They were really hard. Like at 9AM I couldn't believe it was only 9AM. I had a whole day to go. I felt like I was being screamed at 24/7. Screamed at by big feelings. I couldn't think straight. Big feelings aren't only too big for little people. Grown-ups get big feelings too; we're just expected to keep ours under control.

Hurry. Hurry. Hurry. We're going to be late, again. Come on! Let's go!
Ugh. Meltdown. Again.
Sound familiar?

But you know what? I just needed to listen. No zingers. No things I'd regret saying. No hurrying. I needed to listen to what wasn’t being said. I needed to listen. Really listen. Because when I did, it always turned out better. Because when I didn’t, we were all worse off. Recently, I've been really listening.
  • I heard the leaves rustle in the wind.
  • I heard the crunch of apples enjoyed.
  • I heard the slow steady breath of a sleeping toddler.
  • I heard the inflections in my child’s voice change as she got frustrated.
  • I heard those same inflections of bubbling frustration dissipate as we found constructive ways to kept them from exploding in ways that were harmful.
  • I heard my almost five year old ask to be worn, in the front, because in the front are the best hugs. And wear we did. And hugs we gave.

[Image of a tan skin bespectacled Asian woman with eyes closed while her cheek is being kissed by her child who is worn on her front in a green and gold checked woman wrap carrier. They’re softly lit by a rainy day.]

Listen.

Listen will continue to be my word for 2018.

Listen.


P.S. - The last I heard from the kids was "Mom! Don't listen to us okay? We're doing our own thing!"

(https://youtu.be/of8yqcW9hEQ)


Image of two children reading in wrap hammocks. White watermark in bottom left corner of a steaming mug with a needle horizontal along the rim and curly text Edible Thoughts copyright symbol Stephanie Lu Sinclair.]

Image from the far end of two wrap hammocks with happy children inside and books scattered around the floor. In the background are chairs against the wall and bags hung on the wall. White watermark in bottom left corner of a steaming mug with a needle horizontal along the rim and curly text Edible Thoughts copyright symbol Stephanie Lu Sinclair.]

Carriers featured in this post are made by Soul, a company in Bangalore, India that supports local, ethical, small scale industries with a team made up predominately of women. The Soul handwoven line is woven entirely by hand in South India, in government-run co-operative societies that are committed to fair-trade and ethical production. 

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Images have descriptions provided in the alternative text accessible to screen readers.



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