An Anniversary List
Yesterday, my blog turned 1 year old! I had forgotten, but that little trophy with the orange background at the top of my blog page was there this morning to remind me when I set out to blog about another moment of uncertainty as a parent. It was quite reassuring. I intended for this blog to be an outlet, something I could do for me, and I have to admit that unlike the pedicures I was supposed to get and novels I intended to read, I actually stuck with this goal. And it feels great!
So many of you have read and followed and liked and commented, adding to my sense of accomplishment and feelings of shared human experiences. I don’t think I understood a year ago how much we are all united by some universal truths about parenthood and education, but I’m grateful for the lessons.
But because this entry is all about a very vain (I’ll admit) congratulatory message to me, I thought I’d share my seven favorite blog posts from the last year. If you haven’t read them, I encourage you to read them (and comment). If you have, read them again. It’s my anniversary, after all!
7. Old-School Parenting (Dec. 30, 2011): “I’m not pretty enough to be “bourgie,” not “down” enough to fight. I’m not lucky, and even when I deserve to win, someone more seasoned or better connected gets the prize. I’m stuck in the hard worker zone….”
6. Dreams of Being a Sitcom Mom (Dec. 28, 2011): “Clair Huxtable is my hero. I know that I’m about two and a half decades behind the trend, but I must admit that Clair has a timeless beauty and elegance that still makes her worthy of mentorship. I watch episodes on Netflix from the vantage point today of a wife and mother, and Clair still looks like all the things I wish I were….”
5. My Dear Diary (Mar. 25, 2012): “Sometimes, when I’m bored or feeling nostalgic about days gone by, I read the diary I kept as a teenager. I don’t know why I subject myself to the foolishness of adolescent “truths,” especially considering that age and experience has garnered me a certain degree of wisdom that exposes the banality and lies many a teenage girl has told herself in the sanctity of an upstairs bedroom, but I do….”
4. Lipstick and History (Aug. 25, 2012): “Class was over, but the bell had not yet rung. She pulled her reddish lipstick out of her purse and applied it expertly to her lips….”
3. Too Much Information (Apr. 10, 2012): “Am I the only one who loathes going to the gynecologist? There isn’t any veiled fear on my part. In fact, I’d rather know if something is wrong as soon as possible so that I can go about fixing it before it’s too late. It’s just one of the most uncomfortable experiences ever….”
2. Sex and Sausage (Dec. 27, 2011): “Okay, graphic image aside, sometimes a girl just wants some sausage! I can’t help but feel that the bartering my husband does for sex is, well, tacky. And rude. Don’t get me wrong, sex with him is great. I love it, but just because I asked him to cook breakfast doesn’t mean that I really want to have sex….”
1. Stuff My Mother Never Told Me (May 3, 2012): “My mother’s a liar. I love the lady; don’t get me wrong, but there’s some stuff she should have told me. And yes, I call not telling me things “lies” because as she pointed out many times to me in the past, lying by omission is still lying….”
Happy reading!
Memos from the Middle 