with prime rib (though it’s not a holiday)
the Riesling I love
three kids who eat their dinner
(for once)
a conversation that is multifaceted
and has not a hint of anger,
I am happy (so happy)
for the family that I have
for the family (though at times
I feel plagued by them)
that I love
(the parents who stayed
together through the tough times,
who buy and cook whole foods
who don’t force their beliefs upon me,
who love my kids,
who raised me to be strong,
to be the parent,
the best parent, that I can be).
health
Ten Haikus for 2010
Only in Denver
do we enjoy seventy
degrees and then snow.
Running eight hot miles
is easier than having
to say no to you.
Watching Grease again
I wonder if I’m being
their very best mom.
Screaming loud children
are like daffodils: better
when the sun is out.
Two dark chocolate cakes,
one happy hour, zero
days of school: perfect.
Parents who dislike
teachers should home-school their kids
and stop degrading.
Girls wearing dresses
are rainbows shining brightly
after the downpour.
Family is a gift
and also a sacrifice
that makes us complete.
Television steals
moments that we should share to
make the world better.
Spring is a wild breeze
that ushers out winter’s cold
and blows in summer.
Daily Dose of Hope
nestled here in the crack between
two suburbs (one might deny that—
once a small town, now inundated by
subdivisions as the city’s hands outstretch)
are you, the cows and llamas
of my daily commute.
grazing on prairie grasses that
the developers haven’t touched,
one old farmhouse boarded up and fenced in,
the other bursting out yellow light
(still open for your business)
in the predawn mornings.
I search for you more than I
watch my speed, more than I
try to make the next light,
more than you can imagine as
you stalwartly brave the snow,
the wind, the rain without complaint.
will your wool appear in sweaters
at the local store? your beef and
leather be sold in a place where I can buy it?
these are the things that run through my mind
as I come over the hill, anxiously awaiting
my daily dose of yesteryear, of tomorrow, of hope.
20 Rules to Live By
For myself and my daughters.
1. Enjoy life. It’s too short not to.
2. Set goals for yourself. Put them in writing so you’ll follow through.
3. Choose your dreams wisely.
4. Motherhood is the most important job in the world. Remember that when your kids have been bickering all day and you just want to shove them in front of the TV.
5. Be open-minded. Accept people for who they are and don’t waste your time trying to change them.
6. Eat healthily, but enjoy treats. Life needs a bit of sweetness.
7. Make time for yourself and your personal pleasures no matter how much else you have to do.
8. Honesty is always best. Two-faced behavior is atrocious.
9. Exercise regularly. You might not get sick all winter. Or all year.
10. Be a leader for the next generation.
11. Protect the earth. It’s the only one we have.
12. Give your time and money and clothing to charity. And not for tax purposes.
13. Sleep at least seven hours every night.
14. Reflect on your mistakes, but don’t dwell on them. Change who you are because of them.
15. A good marriage can keep your life on the right track. A bad one will shove you off into the ditch. Marry the right person.
16. Don’t force other people to believe what you believe. Just listen. And share.
17. Education is never ending and is the best way to keep your mind open.
18. Love should be the focus of all you do.
19. Travel. It will open your eyes to more than you could ever imagine.
20. Keep your friends close and be for them everything that you want them to be for you.
Recipe for Beating a Cold
PREP: 8 hours and 37 minutes TEMP: 68 degrees
Ingredients
8 hours of sleep
1 treadmill
2 cups of patience
3 tissues
1 pair of sneakers
1 pound determination
1. Go to bed early and ignore the sore throat that’s trying to keep you awake.
2. Hop out of bed as soon as the alarm screams at you.
3. Use the bathroom and blow your nose three times with your tissues. Swallow two cups of patience because you’re going to need it.
4. Carry your determination to the workout room and tie your sneakers. Don’t drop the determination or you’ll never get through this!
5. Step on the treadmill and set it to 7.3. Run like hell for four miles in thirty-three minutes, always carrying your determination and keeping your breathing steady.
6. Step off the treadmill. Take a few deep breaths and smile at your clear nose, your painless throat, and your ability to overcome.
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