fbpx

Love in Family

In these posts we discuss ways we can love our families well.

What if We Believed

Every year my little girl sits on the lap of a stranger with an overgrown beard and an overfed belly and smiles.

She smiles a pure, nonjudgmental, unsolicited, straight-from-the-soul smile. She’s done it since birth.

And this isn’t about the bragging rights of tears versus cheers when it comes to the Big Guy. It’s about the fact that before my daughter could even comprehend there was something to be gained—that this man would give her a candy cane just to cop a squat on his knee—she believed. She trusted. There was an unfiltered acceptance there. A knowing that if her mother handed her over to someone unknown, all shall be okay.

Now, this has become a real area of concern in regard to stranger danger with her, but what a blessing it must be to see the world as my daughter does. Because that’s certainly not my first instinct.

My cup isn’t running over …

by Stephanie Hanrahan Community Guest Blogs HeartBeats Inspiration Inspirational Words Love Love In Action Love in Family Loving Others Motherhood Priorities The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
read more

If the Fates Allow

There’s been one Christmas song, or rather one line from a Christmas song, that’s really resonated with me this year:

“Through the years we all will be together. If the fates allow.”

If the fates allow.

The fates haven’t been favorable to many of us this year. Christmas, once filled with hustle and bustle and family time, may feel incredibly flat. Your merry and bright might be a little dulled.

But even though we can’t control our circumstances, we can take ownership of our perspective. So that’s the gift I’m giving myself this year. If what we focus on we feel, I’m going to grant my attention toward optimism. I’m going to remember that every year unlocks its own tragedies and triumphs, but that’s just part of the unsigned contract of humanity: sometimes we get to skim through life, and sometimes we suffer.

It’s a little too ambitious for me to say, “From now on …

by Stephanie Hanrahan Guest Blogs HeartBeats Inspiration Inspirational Words Love Love In Action Love in Family Loving Others Priorities Purpose Roadblocks in Life The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
read more

Children Need Presence, Not Presents

Just get on the floor with them.

That’s my answer when people ask me what my children want for Christmas. Just get on the floor with them. Come, quite literally, down to their level.

My best friend hadn’t seen my daughter for almost a year, but on her recent visit, she did just that. She sat in the company of my child and found a way to connect.

Knowing that Campbell loves arts and crafts (and her mother can’t Pinterest a project to save her life), they went to the store and gathered supplies to paint the most majestic of pumpkins. When her visit was over, she gave Campbell a stuffed unicorn that she’s slept with every night since. She rubs it to her nose and asks it to help her dream about her Aunt Jenn.

She met my daughter where she was and what resulted was magic.

It’s hard to do this as a …

by Stephanie Hanrahan Guest Blogs HeartBeats Inspiration Inspirational Women Inspirational Words Love Love in Family Love in Friendship Loving Others Motherhood Priorities Purpose The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
read more

Thankful Grateful Blessed

Thanksgiving is a day to be thankful. To stop and smell the roses (or the marigolds as my little girl did). And while gratitude is good, holidays can also give us a mixed bag of emotions. Hard things still happen even on the best of days, so here’s a little cheat sheet in case your feelings don’t know to take a day off.

🦃 Food Guilt—stuffing your face then taking a shot at your self-worth. Don’t do it. One day of bad eating won’t make you big just like one day on a diet won’t make you thin. Eat and enjoy.

🦃 Family/Friend Dynamics—go if you want, stay home if you will. Excuse yourself if you’re tired, or it’s too chaotic, or discussions compromise your beliefs. Boundaries are beautiful, beautiful things, but sometimes boundary lines blur during the holiday season. Our cheer gets the best of us. Just remember, “We have an …

by Stephanie Hanrahan Guest Blogs Inspiration Inspirational Words Love Love In Action Love in Family Loving Others Priorities The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
read more

More Than a Mom

The first time I remember feeling content in my life was the first year of my daughter’s life. Up until that point, I was notorious for always wanting more. Nothing was ever enough, even my wins fell overwhelmingly short, and I would constantly bounce around looking for the next best thing.

Then, that tiny human slowed and steadied me.

I remember around my fourth month as a stay at home mom, my therapist asked me if I had finished my book—a project I was working on prior to giving birth. I was flabbergasted. How could I?! I was a mother now. I had a mouth to feed and nursery rhymes to sing. There was no time for the betterment of myself. When you take on the role of a mother it means you sacrifice, or so I assumed.

Turns out, therapists get paid a lot because they have incredible foresight.

It wouldn’t be long …

by Stephanie Hanrahan Girl's Night Out Guest Blogs HeartBeats Inspiration Inspirational Leaders Inspirational Women Inspirational Words Love Love In Action Love in Family Loving Yourself Motherhood Priorities The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
read more

Celebrating Through Our Sorrows

Tonight we paused our normal tidy-up-hurry-up routine just long enough to play a game of Chutes and Ladders. It’s a game of luck, but somehow I managed to beat my daughter twice in row.

As I won the second time, I waited for her reaction, expecting a meltdown or at the very least a sign of frustration.

But instead, my girl congratulated me, ran upstairs, and returned with a medal she made to celebrate my victory.

Every bone in Campbell’s body is good. Even on the longest chute down, the one that cost her the win, she said, “That’s alright. I love long slides.” She was so excited for my gain that she could care less about her loss.

During these days of increased division, may we remember this old adage,

“You’ve got a wedding planner praying for sunshine and a farmer praying at the same time for rain.”

One person’s win is not the same.

May …

by Stephanie Hanrahan Community Guest Blogs HeartBeats Inspiration Inspirational Words Love Love In Action Love in Family Loving Others Motherhood The Journey Through Life Leave a comment chat
read more