In five days I will turn thirty-eight years old.
Which, besides the drop in collagen and metabolism, isn’t such a bad thing. Finally, after almost four decades, I’m starting to kind of understand balance. Or, at least, understand the constant battle I’m fighting to find balance. At last, I can (sort of) see the benefits of compromises…the contentment in finding the middle ground.
For example, I struggle constantly to find compromise between maintaining my family and maintaining my self-identity. To find balance between chocolate cravings and eating sugar-free. I teeter-totter between the difficult tension of living in this world and also living for eternity. I’m always trying to balance my love for Antrhopologie with not spending all of our money. It’s a problem. What’s the balance between screen time and quality time? How do you find the balance between love and logic?
Perhaps the area that’s most difficult for me to strike a balance is in motherhood. Nature vs. Nurture. How can I nurture my kids without smothering their own individual natures? How can I let each of them be their own person, to spread their wings, but also make sure I teach them strong values, a love for their Savior, and why it’s a bad idea to not comb their hair before leaving the house.
Is it a bad idea to not comb your hair before leaving the house? All four of our kids would say no. Even when I point out that their classmates all seem to have combed hair, they argue that combs hurt them. If they knew the word or the concept, they’d tell me that mandatory hair-combing damages their messy-haired nature.
But, I digress. All this to say that I often find the balance I’m looking for while on vacation. The destinations that seem to strike the right balance between nature and nurture are the cabin in Nebraska and beach houses in Galveston. In these places, the kids can explore, by themselves, (hair uncombed), and it feels right. They’re independent, they’re themselves. But also, we’re together.
Ironic that in places with 20% of the square footage of our house, our family finds the balance between being themselves and living together.
Can I share some pictures of our weekend trip to Galveston with you? To me, they represent that delicate balance between the kids exploring as individuals and sharing the experience with all of us.
Sorry there’s so many. I’m still trying to strike the balance between Delete and Publish.
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| Nate striking the balance between walking and Goggy carrying him. |
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| M striking the balance between exploring and his fear of wetland-dwelling snakes. |
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| Catie striking the balance between independent exploration and being a know-it-all to her brother. |
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| Sam striking the balance between holding hermit crab shells and hermit crab shells freaking him out. |
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| M striking the balance of wrangling four kids. |
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| Elisabeth balancing as she investigates a crab. |
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| Nate balancing his curiosity with the security of Goggy’s arms. |
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| This crab balancing the need to be free with the security of his home. |
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| Nate balancing his fear of water with his love of wet sand. It helps if Goggy is between him and the waves. |
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| Elisabeth’s shoe shop, precisely balanced on Daddy’s sand pedestals. |
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| Sam balancing on a boogie board as he catches a wave. |
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| Sam and Elisabeth balancing their identities as two halves of a twosome. |
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| Sam balancing his brother’s sand pail |
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| Catie learning how to balance on a boogie board |
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| The six of us…balancing our selves with our family… |
