Gratitude

Posted on November 24, 2008

I am grateful for (in no order in particular)…

two beautiful healthy daughters
- an engaging, laughing, sleeping through the night, lashes down to her nose baby
- a smart, curious, creative, entertaining, independent, opinionated, stubborn, empathetic, loving little girl

the freedom to find work that is meaningful and the time to be with my family while I figure out what that is

proximity to extended family and friends – you’re all just a walk, drive, flight, call or email away

living where we know our neighbors and can walk to shops, food, parks and the river

my husband

the possibility of positive change in this country and this world

the internet…what would I do without it?!

relative financial security, especially now, at least for now

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
-John F. Kennedy




House Pet

Posted on November 22, 2008

CM’s not making the best case for getting a puppy or a cat…so far we’ve been through a half a dozen fish and she’s already pushing off the responsibility for the plant her Ninang (tagalog for godmother) gave her onto me after only a few days. Luckily it’s a cactus so it can survive a little neglect.

From Blogger Pictures
From Blogger Pictures




Pretty Baby

Posted on November 15, 2008

I know I’m biased, but I can’t get enough of this sweet face!


These guys are pretty great, too.




Q & A

Posted on November 15, 2008

CM comes up with some mind boggling questions. I would be relieved if she would just ask why the sky is blue. Instead it’s “how do clouds make lightning”, “what are magnets made of”, “what makes the earth spin”.

And then there are the truly unanswerable ones…

Like, “Who made God?”
To which she came up with her own answer. With complete confidence, she told me that God made us and we made God. Why didn’t I think of that?

Today at lunch she told me that when she wants to feel peaceful, she prays. Wow. I asked if she meant that she talks to God. She said yes, but not for real, just in her imagination because God isn’t really there. I said nothing. She continued, “because God is dead.” More silence from me. “Because they killed him” she finished with eyebrows raised and a question mark in her voice. I realized she was talking about Jesus because a few days earlier she asked me why “they” killed Jesus. Oh, my. I’m embarassed to recount my clumsy reply.

As I waiver, struggle and strive to understand my own faith and religion, I feel completely incompetent to provide my daughter with answers. Part of me wants to reassure her with confident explanations. But I can not tell her what I do not know. Maybe she’ll figure it out and explain it all to me someday. In the meantime, I’m happy that she has both skeptics and “saints” in her life to help her sort it out.





Election Day

Posted on November 5, 2008

Yesterday we attended a rally where we saw Senator Obama speak. He reminded us why this election is important, why we support him and that the race is not over, nor the outcome known, until the ballots are counted. Afterward, T watched the girls so I could volunteer for a couple of hours. This morning, CM and I made cookies for today’s volunteers since it wasn’t going to be very productive for the three of us girls to go knocking on doors in the rain.
Now, we wait and HOPE. I hope you’ve all made your voices heard by voting. Regardless of who wins, it’s amazing to hear how many Americans are participating in this process. I have played only a tiny role. The fact that I was willing to make calls to total strangers on behalf of a candidate is a testament to how inspired I have been. I don’t even like to talk to people I know and like on the phone. I only hope that we will all continue to be engaged after today.






copyright 2010 Jennifer Mendoza Photography