Throughout the month of March, I am participating in the annual Slice of Life Story Challenge, and even hosted by the team at Two Writing Teachers. Every day in March, I will share a story and comment on the stories of other participants. Please join us in writing, sharing, reading, and commenting!
Last year, my One Little Word was time. It's an interesting juxtaposition with my 2025 word of heal. Every February, I gather possible small moments... not necessarily written slices, but moments that could become slices. On February 14, Clare made heart-shaped bread. Adorable, right? I came in from work, and I noticed the bread on the cooling rack. I remember thinking, wow, that's adorable. I love that she took the time to make special bread.
When the girls were in elementary school, Valentine's Day was a big deal in our house. We had heart-shaped pancakes, I sent them to school with heart-shaped sandwiches wearing something heart-ish, they came home to some sort of low-budget Valentine gift-- you get the idea.
Over the years, Valentine's Day lost its charm for my daughters. Like many holidays, it makes as many people unhappy as happy. Somewhere along the dating age of the girls, we stopped making a big deal of it. I don't remember an incident. It was more of a drift, I think. (I may get corrected in the comments since the girls all read my posts.)
In any case, there was something nostalgic about Clare's heart-shaped bread.
Mid-February had a LOT going on for me, and Friday nights (which Feb 14 was) meant back to back tutoring sessions and then figuring out something semi-meaningful for dinner and dealing with end of the week exhaustion. Clare came in as I was organizing myself for tutoring session #1.
"Did you see my heart-shaped bread?" she asked.
In my mind, I responded.
In my mind, I'd admired the bread.
In my mind I'd even been touched by the heart-shaped bread.
In my defense, I even took a picture of the heart-shaped bread.
But out of my mouth... silence.
Clare, tapping into her sense of humor, entered my office and stood over me.
"You didn't respond at all," she said, her eyes wide, her hands on her hips. "Did you see my heart-shaped bread?"
Clare caught me, and I caught myself not taking the time to appreciate something awesome, literally right under my nose. Or rather, appreciating it, but not taking the time to express that appreciation. Appreciation and expressing it takes time, a word that has nestled into the fabric of my being from living with it for the year. Heal is a word with many meanings. As I'm home and physically healing, I have the gift of time to reach out and reconnect with friends. Most aren't as direct as Clare is about receiving a response, but there are probably several calls I can make, texts I can send, checking in and checking on-- making sure that I'm responding to all the heart-shaped bread that's in my world.
This is an important post about noticing AND commenting on our children and their attempts as well as their accomplishments. I too am guilty of becoming absorbed in getting through my own life at many times and often my mental acknowledgement seems to be enough. Thank you for the reminder to See Something, Say Something!
ReplyDeleteSo sweet! The bread and the lesson learned. A nice reminder to appreciate and let people know. I think you’re good at that. Glad you’re making the most of your time healing to do a little extra appreciating. ❤️Jess
ReplyDeleteI was in this same spot with my daughter last night trying to ready myself for the work week and get lunches packed for the Monday sprint to school.
ReplyDeleteYour post makes me miss those bread makers of a decade or two ago. I'm not sure why I ever got rid of the one I used. It was all the rage and makes me wish I had some fresh baked bread.
ReplyDeleteIt was cute AND it was delicious! I don't remember when the Valentine's Day celebrations petered out, so no corrections from me :)
ReplyDeleteI second this! And as a chronically single gal, I'm thankful Valentine's Day is less a big deal for us :)
DeleteThis is the line I am pondering, and keeping in my memory:
ReplyDelete‘ Appreciation and expressing it takes time’
What a beautiful post, Melanie. And the bread is the perfect metaphor for those moments of gratitude, spoken and unspoken.
ReplyDeleteI also love the way you've woven (kneaded?) together the themes of time and healing. For me, the healing and time-taking has been mostly spiritual, and I could definitely take a page from your playbook in reaching out to more folks.
Thanks for this reminder. =)