On November 2, 2017, my new identity as a mother formed when I gave birth to my baby girl. Suddenly, all of my maternal instincts from within unleashed care and compassion onto this beautiful creature. Instantly, she had become the …
Conversation Three: The Four Most Important Conversations You’ll Have as Parents
This is a four-part blog series. Each consecutive day this week will feature Conversation one, Conversation two, Conversation three and Conversation four in both print and video. These excerpts were taken from a chapter written by Axis in Dennis and Barbara …
Women of Influence
You are a woman of influence. Influence is defined as “the capacity to have an effect on the character, development or behavior of someone or something.” No matter what you do during the day, how much money you make (or …
GIST: Who Am I, Why Am I Here and Where Am I Going?
These are the three great questions about life that we all must answer at some point in our lives. And it starts in childhood with “Who am I?” One goal for parents is to help establish an accurate self-assessment to …
How Motherhood Is Like The Velveteen Rabbit
“Mommy?” My three-year-old son stands before me on the rocky mountain path. We’re in Jasper and we’re hiking. “Yes, sweetie?” He looks solemn beneath his sideways ball cap. “You’re beautiful.” Then he turns and skips away, leaving me breathless. I …
The One To-Do List You Cannot Live Without
There’s a fifth person in our house now. She smells like springtime. A person with chubby cheeks and large blue eyes, with a strong neck who already rolls from side to side and whose favorite place is in someone’s arms, …
What Changed When I Became a Mom
It’s 3 a.m., and I can’t sleep. Not because of a “nighttime worry” session, but because my heart is bursting with something difficult to describe. You see, 21 years ago today, at exactly 7:52am, my life was completely changed forever. …
Learning to be Brave
Being brave took an interesting turn since my children both started school last fall. It’s the first time I am home alone in a decade, and I find that I am not the same woman I was ten years ago. …
Teaching My Children to Risk and Fail
(Even When I Don’t Feel Like It) “Be careful.” “I’m not so sure about that.” “Don’t fall.” The words come out like a reflex, their meaning gone even as I say them. It’s the mama bear in me combined with …