A Week's Work: Wonderful, Toddler-ful, and Writer-ful
How was your week? Here's a rundown of mine, some recommended memoirs, and a story about work and rest.
Monday, Tuesday.
Any week that begins with “Grandma!” coming from my 2 ½-year-old grandson, followed by a big snuggle-hug, is bound to be a good week. Although they live about two hours away in Grand Rapids, I help out my son and daughter-in-law one Monday a month by watching my grandson. This week I also started a 6-week writing class at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, and since the class meets on Wednesdays, I was blessed with a bonus day of chasing down my favorite toddler.
When I say “chasing down” I really mean “chasing up” (as in, “No honey, don’t go upstairs. Your toys are down here and Grandma doesn’t want you to fall”). I also mean “buckling up” (as in, “Let me get you in your car seat so we can go to the library” and “I’m sorry you have to get in your stroller but it’s time to leave the park now;” Cue two-year-old tantrum).
We made snakes out of Play-doh, colored Grandma Shark, and read books; practiced yoga, dancing, singing, and soccer; popped and ate popcorn; and went to storytime and the park. I’m not sure who was more tired at the end of each day, but I know there’s a reason we have kids when we’re young and spry! If you’re a grandparent, can you relate? If not, I hope your day will come. The joy outweighs the exhaustion.
Still, I was ready to move on to the more intellectually taxing and less physically demanding tasks of my week.
Wednesday, Thursday.
Being back at my first alma mater was weird, but the class promises to be engaging and inspirational. There’s always more to learn! (I’ll tell you more about it in a future post.)
On my way home from up north, I met my friend Cheryl Balcom for dinner. We first met over a year ago at the Breathe Writer’s Conference and have since kept in touch through social media. With the release of my Lenten Devotional in January and her Memoir on March 15 (the day we met up), we had much to celebrate and compare notes on! I’m so happy for Cheryl and thankful for this new friendship we have formed.
Cheryl’s memoir is just one of three I’ve read over the past few weeks, including:
Winds of Grace: Losing my Father, Surrendering Control, and Growing in Faith by Cheryl Esper Balcom
*Ordinary Hazards: A Memoir by Nikki Grimes
*All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore
You can read my full review of each on my Goodreads page, but I can tell you they all earned five stars from me. All three stories, despite their differences, pulled me in, tugged at my emotions, and pointed me toward God’s grace. Go read one (or all!) of these memoirs!
I ended my week with many hours spent transitioning my newsletter over to Substack and syncing things with my main website. (Are you asking “What’s Substack? Read my previous post/newsletter for all the details.)
I really enjoy the techie side of my writing hobby, but it can eat away the hours! What tasks do you get so wrapped up in that you can’t stop, even when it’s past your bedtime?
Friday, Saturday.
After a day of replying to emails, paying bills, and working more on my Substack and website, by Friday night I needed a break. I convinced my husband to join me for a St. Patrick’s Day, empty-nester-date-night, complete with Irish fare and bagpipes! (Here are some pics on my Facebook page.) It would have been a perfect night if Purdue, our second alma mater, had pulled off their expected first-round win as a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. SO disappointing!
On Saturday, I was back to writing (a homework assignment for my class and this newsletter), and other little tasks around the house.
Sunday.
It’s the start of a new week, and with it, a new season! Tomorrow is the first day of spring! Are you as ready for Spring as I am?
For those who are reading my book, Lent through the Little Things, you may remember my meditation on the equinox this past week. Tomorrow is the day with equal hours of light and darkness everywhere around the world. I find that little creation phenom so fascinating! God’s perfection and power–as shown through the amazing balance he created on planet Earth (seriously, just a speck in the universe)–is hard to fathom. As I ponder that balance and what God intended for our world, our communities, and our lives, I know we fall short in so many ways.
How can we bring balance to our lives? Do we feel pressured to be working, producing, and creating, every waking hour of every day? Do we have trouble slowing down and really resting from our daily tasks? In my recently-released story at TheBanner.org–Life in the Balance: Equinox, Sabbath, and the Gift of Rest–I tackle these questions.
If you’re reading my book, you’ll recognize the introduction about the equinox. But read on. I think you’ll find the new connection I make between the equinox and the Sabbath enlightening. God intends for our lives to be balanced. He gives us rest. Or does he command it? Check out my story to read about the Sabbath rules I grew up with and how I’m trying to live out my Sabbaths today.
I hope you have done good work this week.
And I hope you find rest for your soul.
Happy Spring!
(This story was originally published on 3/19/23, at lindahanstra.substack.com.)