That’s Enough For One Day

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Jennifer Wolfe

There’s nothing like travel to give a reality check on how spoiled I am.

I live in a big house with a comfy bed with more than one pillow. I don’t have to sleep twisted into some contorted position in order to stay on my side of the armrest, and my pillow doesn’t have to wrap around my neck.

I can walk to the refrigerator or pantry whenever I want to and drink clean water and eat a healthy snack. I don’t have to remember to use bottled water to brush my teeth or ring a bell when I need to eat (ok, that actually is kind of cool for a change).

I can ride my bike to work, to the grocery store, or just about any place I need to go in my hometown. If I drive, it’s usually a quick trip. I don’t have to ride in a shuttle bus through traffic that would put LA to shame, wondering how eight lanes of cars and motorbikes will fit into a space wide enough for two.

After 29 hours of travel, I’m grateful for all these things that I often take for granted. As nice as the people all are, I think 8,693 miles is enough for today.

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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Jumping Off

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Jennifer Wolfe

Adventures are often the bittersweet variety to me. The planning, preparation and anticipation
gives way to the sudden reality that life as I know it is about to change,
leaving me in that in between place of contained excitement and sheer sadness
over what I’m leaving behind.

That may sound silly to some – who wouldn’t want to take off
on the first leg of an international adventure? Many would have had their bags packed for
days, counting down the hours and moments until departure with a nomadic
exuberance.

Others might understand the trepidation, the baby steps it
takes to jump off into the unknown with only a carryon bag and a laptop to
remind you of home.

Perhaps this nervousness held me back from packing until the
very last second, and maybe it kept me from revving up my batteries as I
counted down the days. There is a
difference between loneliness and being alone, and I’m not used to either. Sixteen years of caring for other little
spirits, twenty-seven of having one always by my side, and suddenly, sitting in
this tiny plane heading towards an unknown land, I feel it.

This is the jumping off point. There is no looking back, only forward. This is the quiet time to reflect, rest, and reason. There is plenty to keep me occupied – I’m
really not alone at all.

Jennifer Wolfe

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The Questions You Ask

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Jennifer Wolfe

Most of us are taught that “there is no such thing a stupid question.” We are told to “raise our hands to answer a question” and even “question authority.”

Our young children ask us “Why is the sky blue?” And as we age, we wonder “What is the meaning of life?”

Sometimes we ask questions without really wanting to know the answer.

Often I think of the question after the opportunity is lost.

As I’m preparing for this Indonesian adventure I feel like I’m lost in between the child and the adult – knowing I need to ask the right question, but so bewildered I cannot form it. The child in me wants to have answers to everything; what will I eat? Will I be safe? How will I talk to my kids? Will I have everything I need?

The adult knows so much of it will have to play out on its own; the experience will be what I make of it.

The child in me wants to know the who, what, when, where and why…the adult in me doesn’t want too much information to stir up my anxiety.

So I stop and consider the questions that are truly important:

What will I learn from this adventure?

How can I use this experience to better my family, my community and my world?

When I’m outside of my comfort zone, what will I draw on to have the courage to leap into the unknown?

I’ll let you know when the answers come to me.

Jennifer Wolfe

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Turning Ideas Into Realities

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Jennifer Wolfe

Have you ever had an idea that you wondered if you could make it work?

Did you lose sleep at night running it over and over in your mind, searching out the pros and cons, the rights and wrongs, the hows and whys?

Did you share it with your friends, ask for advice on Facebook, or search out an expert?

Did you try jumping in all at once, or take baby steps to test it out?

We teach our children to be adventurous, to raise their hand and share their thoughts, and to try new foods. We expect them to do things we never did ourselves, to speak for us when we cannot find our own voice, and to teach us how to use the newest technology that we do not understand.

For many of us, change is scary. We like the known over the unknown. Taking a chance means risking making a mistake, failing, or facing ridicule. Taking a chance means we might need to show our weaknesses. Taking a chance is also how we learn our life lessons.

I like to think that the older I get, the wiser I become. I let loose my inhibitions and step into situations that would have paralyzed me ten years ago. Sometimes it’s more of a physical challenge: I cast out on open water, soar through the air, or push myself to exhaustion.

Other times the mental task seems just as daunting: applying for a new program, sharing my thoughts, or taking on the terrifying task of parenting teenagers.

This week, two of my writer friends are taking on their own new challenge by bringing their idea into reality. Val and Kathy have created a website, Bonbon Break, designed to provide a space to share their thoughts, wisdom, humor and ideas with like-minded women, and I am honored to be one of the contributing writers in their first edition with my parenthood post on teaching social responsibility.

If you’re looking for a little inspiration, some interesting thoughts, and a great example of making your ideas come true, visit Bonbon Break! You’ll be happy you did.

Jennifer Wolfe

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Friday Photo: Blooming

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Jennifer Wolfe

The day she was born a perfect peach lily bloomed in my garden. I had been waiting for it, day after day checking the tight green buds for signs of an opening. When it began to peek out, delicate petals with just a blush of color were unveiled, supported by a strong, slender stalk. In the days that followed more and more buds awoke to the world.

For the next few years they grew together, each spring showing new promise. Her limbs grew stronger, her courage to show her promise to the world bloomed with each passing season. New talents and interests expanded her growth as a woman and urged her forward, sometimes clinging tightly to home, others pushing her forward into the unknown.

I searched for signs of that lily this year, hoping that baby blush would emerge once more. Five weeks of waiting, wishing, missing her, dreaming of what she would be like when she reappeared. Fleeting images of blue-eyed beauty flicker in my mind’s eye as I think of her as she used to be, preparing myself for what she has become. Tomorrow she will reappear, the tender blush will bloom again, a strong base supporting her into the next season of growth.

image courtesy of rosaflora.com

Jennifer Wolfe

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