No amount of reading will prepare you for the first months of motherhood. That being said, there are some books that I found useful as I navigated the first six months of keeping (myself and) my little human alive, well, and happy. There are so many conflicting opinions about what you should and shouldn't do and before you know it, your head’s spinning and you start to question yourself and your good intentions. Sound familiar? Read on.
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Making Friends during Covid-19
We are all social distancing and/or staying safely isolated and it’s during times like this I wish I could conjure up my loved ones with a magic trick. Here’s my dilemma: How do you make new friends during Covid-19?
Life’s Better on a Mountain Bike – Victoria’s Story
I loved chatting with Victoria. You can tell she’s passionate about what she does, and it’s not just mountain biking, although that’s undoubtedly part of it. For her, it’s about how the sport has the potential to empower women and boost their confidence, something she’s experienced first-hand. But it wasn’t always like this. Before she even tried mountain biking, Victoria worked a high-stress job that left her at the edge of her mental and physical reserves. One day she tried mountain biking with her partner, Wessel: She fell, she cried and got frustrated. But through her unwavering determination, she went on to become a certified instructor! Now she’s running her own business, Ride like a Girl, where she teaches other women the skills they need to feel confident on their bikes. This is Victoria’s story.
It gets easier, mama
My journal entry on 23 May read: This is hard. That’s all it says. On that particular evening, I only had the energy and emotional capacity to write down those words. It had been a long day and a long week, and I was exhausted. don’t feel this way every day. In fact, I don’t feel this way most days. Motherhood is wonderful, surprising, exciting, rewarding, and all those beautiful things people told you it would be. I’ll even go so far as to say it’s been the best experience of my life. Despite the bliss and the joys, there are days when it just feels so hard! It’s not just the parenting that feels overwhelming, it’s about settling into the new rhythm and flow of my days. For me, that’s what’s hard.
A Tale for the Time Being – Ruth Ozeki
A Hello Kitty lunchbox. A writer on a remote island suffering from writer’s block. Musings on the nature of Time. A bullied teenage girl in Japan. A watch. A Buddhist nun. Big philosophical questions. A cat called Pesto. Proust. A suicidal software developer. Tsunamis and Twin Towers. A World War Two kamikaze pilot… This is Ruth Ozeki’s 'A Tale for the Time Being.'
For some, art means business – Josh’s Story
Making a living as an artist is challenging. How do you stay true to your art, develop your career, and earn an income without quitting to ‘get a real job’? This is Josh’s story. He believes that not only can you survive as an artist, but that you can thrive.
Lanny by Max Porter – Book Review
Lanny is a peculiar boy. He’s full of whimsy and seemingly deeply connected to the natural world and his quirky behaviour causes ripples of bafflement and adoration among the people who know him. But Lanny’s strangeness also rouses the interest of something otherworldly: an ancient spirit whose essence permeates the small English village where he lives with his parents. Max Porter delves deep into psyche of his characters and the collective spirit of the community in his darkly poetic way.
Food – friend or foe? – Juané’s Story
Is food your enemy, friend or ally? Our relationship with food is complex and for some people eating goes hand-in-hand with guilt, anxiety and shame. Juané’s passionate about this topic and she spoke openly about how the process of overcoming her deep-rooted anxieties is something that takes time and commitment.
Stories that Inspire
I’m excited to tell you about a new series of stories on the Wild Library blog called ‘Stories that Inspire.’ A while ago I had a conversation with someone about role-models and heroes. I don’t have any ‘famous’ role-models. There are well-known people whose work or contribution to society I admire, but I don’t see … Continue reading Stories that Inspire
Brave Enough
People don’t like change, especially not a wild out-of-our-control change threatening our perfect plans. It leaves us anxious and uncertain but it’s exactly this period of waiting and wondering that calls for bravery.
