Few years in my life have felt as long as this one. Last year, on New Year’s, I declared that I’d had the hardest year of my life, and therefore I was the strongest I’d ever been. In the end, this proved to be true. Although I faced many familiar battles this year, I fought…
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Take Some Self-Ease
On my last solo walk of this challenge, I thought a lot about solitude. I was never a fan of it in my younger years. In fact, I was so unaccustomed to being alone that I once asked Matt, before we were dating, whether he would bring a chair into the communal bathroom in our…
Read MoreFree Dogs, Free Therapy
During today’s first walk, I spent time talking with an old friend from high school. We talked about many things, but one thing we touched upon that got me thinking was the amount of stigma associated with seeking out help for mental illness. This strikes me as so odd given the prevalence of mental illness.…
Read MorePsycho-ho-ho-sis
In my last post, I mentioned how challenging it is to be cooped up in the house with Bailey so often. But on my latest solo walk on the day after Christmas, I got to think a lot about all of the lovely ways in which being cooped up in the house for Bailey’s first…
Read MoreQuarantired
Matt and I both took the day before Christmas Eve off, to prepare for the arrival of his mom and her husband. Bailey still had daycare, so we had the luxury of being able to clean outside the confines of naptime and without a small, very well-meaning helper getting in the way. We were in…
Read MoreThe Santa Closet
A few days ago I walked with Nora- my oldest friend. We met in preschool, and pretty quickly became inseparable. One of the traits that united us was that we were wise beyond our years, as our teachers liked to remind us in each grade level we traveled through. As the holidays approach, I’m reminded…
Read MoreThanks be to Godparents
Last week I walked with my godfather. He and my godmother, my aunt and uncle, have always been some of my biggest cheerleaders. When I was a kid, they went through elaborate journeys to find me the perfect gifts I requested, whether that was a play tent, a croquet set, or a live toad. My…
Read MoreMisfortune-Telling
Last night, just before Matt and I went to bed, I started feeling upset and, at first, didn’t understand why. It wasn’t massive-mood-swing upset, so it didn’t scare me, but it did catch me off guard. “What’s wrong?” Matt asked, and it surprised me how quickly the answer came to me once he asked. “I’m…
Read MoreExpect the Unexpected
Yesterday I walked with an old high school friend I hadn’t talked to in a long time. This blog has been a great way to reconnect with people and hear more about their stories of pregnancy, childbirth, and child rearing as we all reach the age when that’s become more common. One of the things…
Read MoreA Little Help from my Friends
Yesterday I had a lovely but utilitarian walk to the post office to get stamps for our Christmas cards. As I walked, I talked to my old college roommate, Colleen, who has been a rock of support to both me and Matt throughout this entire ordeal. I even got to hear a few attempts at…
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Postpartum Psychosisterhood 