Sunday, August 28, 2011

Play Therapy Helps When Life Wreaks Havoc

Miles with his beloved Honda Civic, Sept. 2010
2 happy kids on the day we got our new car
Sept. 25, 2010
I have missed you blog.

One reason I've been away is a car wreck last Monday.  No one hurt.  I wasn't even in the car.  Long story involving a hill, another car, and a ditch.  But my son's beloved Honda Civic is all bunched up, so to speak.  And it's probably gonna be awhile until it's fixed.  If it's worth fixing at all.

After it happened, I picked up Miles from school and told him the story.  (He wasn't present when the accident occurred.)  He seemed a little sad.  When we got home he immediately got out a bunch of his cars and crashed them over and over.   A couple of days ago he drew a picture of the car before the wreck. 

Today he's been asking each of us in the family to draw pictures and put them in this old tie box.  He referred to it as a jewelry box, illustrating the preciousness of its contents.   So I have carefully added mine and have become a part of my son's creative ritual.  I didn't teach him to do this.  I didn't tell him to do this.  It came completely on his own.  Miles, in his 6-year-old wisdom, is using his play as therapy.  Because play heals.


Earthquakes, hurricanes, events in Libya.  Births and deaths.  A cancer diagnosis.  New jobs, new bosses, new schools.  The usual transitions.  Sometimes life wreaks havoc. 

Even we adults can learn something from young children.
We too can use art and play and ritual to bring us some peace.

Last night my friend Liz wrote this post that I didn't read until now.  She shares a story of what could be called a little ritual with her daughter.  Just hearing her voice brings me some peace.

Peace to you in whatever might be wreaking havoc in your life.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Happy birthday to...

a few days old. perched on my shoulder. probably in the same position she was in the womb.
while I read a book on breastfeeding.  I should have been sleeping too.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MEREDITH ROSE!

I can't think of anything that has changed my life more than your birth.

Meredith now.  first day of 7th grade (yesterday).
kinda look alike, huh?

Friday, August 5, 2011

Joy for Friday


Joy does not simply happen to us.
We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.
~~Henri Nouwen



Thursday, August 4, 2011

Joy for Thursday


Keep knocking, and the Joy inside will eventually
open a window and look out to see who's there. ~~Rumi

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

JOY for Wednesday


Joy springs from within;
no one makes you joyous;
you choose joyfulness 
~~Unknown

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Joy for Tuesday


We need Joy as we need air.
We need Love as we need water.
We need each other as we need the earth we share.
~~Maya Angelou

Monday, August 1, 2011

Joy for Monday


When we are centered in joy we attain our wisdom.
~~Marianne Williamson

I'm having a week of JOY.

All photos this week were taken by yours truly at the Birmingham Botancial Gardens on our vacation. That place brought me JOY for sure. I love these photos so much I had them made into enlargements at Walgreens. When I went to pick them up the clerk had me sign a form stating that I was the photographer and that they weren't done by a professional.

Photography brings me JOY.