“The universe is an ongoing explosion. That’s where you live. In an explosion. Also, we absolutely don’t know what living is. Sometimes atoms arranged in a certain way just get very haunted. That’s us. When an explosion explodes hard enough, dust wakes up and thinks about itself. And then writes about it. … Continue reading “Ideas and Truth”
Author: eilonwy902
Dramatic Irony
On May 12 my life was so peaceful, so predictable, almost boring. I’d poured a lot of energy into ensuring that my life was, above all, unbusy. And then, on May 13, I stepped out of the life I had chosen and into something that felt more like a fast-paced drama on TV. Scene: It … Continue reading “Dramatic Irony”
I’m not ok…and that’s ok
How am I doing? It’s a question I get asked a lot lately, and I’m never sure exactly how to respond. My husband died almost 6 months ago. Death of a spouse sits at the top of the list of stressful life events, and for good reason. My life right now is just incredibly … Continue reading “I’m not ok…and that’s ok”
The day after the end of the world
How on earth am I supposed to do this? How do I say goodbye to the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with? How do I close the book on our story and move on with my story while our story seems so heartbreakingly incomplete? How do I stay strong … Continue reading “The day after the end of the world”
Death is the Elephant in the Room
Death is a big piece of so many of the contradictions that are inherent in the experience of being human. Death is the only thing that any of us are absolutely guaranteed, and yet somehow it manages to take us by surprise. We live our lives and make decisions according to our own values hierarchy. … Continue reading “Death is the Elephant in the Room”
What is Grief?
My life thus far has been a lot of things. Complex and beautiful and painful and messy and joyous. So much learning. And yet, with all I experienced and all that I learned, I’m coming now to realize that I never actually understood anything about grief. I thought I understood it. It’s an emotion, I … Continue reading “What is Grief?”
Boundaries, Continued
Responding to Boundary Violations Our rule about boundaries is not an easy one for the kids to learn. This is not one of those lessons that you teach once and move on to the next thing. It is confusing. It seems contradictory. Figuring out the nuances takes a lot of work. Maya is having … Continue reading “Boundaries, Continued”
We Begin with Boundaries
When other kids encounter the way our family works, they sometimes get the impression that our family has absolutely no rules. And compared to traditional education and discipline practices, it’s kinda true. The kids do have an unprecedented amount of freedom. But no rules? Not exactly. We do have one rule. A big one. And it … Continue reading “We Begin with Boundaries”
Onward at School: Playing with Paper
Our space unit went really, really well. The kids had a blast, and learned a few things. Initially I assumed that when our enthusiasm for space wound down, we would choose another topic and do the same thing again. But in retrospect, I decided that a few things would need to change for our next … Continue reading “Onward at School: Playing with Paper”
Spacefaring Sam: The Sun
Today was cold, so we started by building a fire. We decided to have circle time near the fire in the interest of keeping warm. I had begun to get ready for circle time when I realized that my animals were hungry, so I delayed in order to give them feed and water. I decided … Continue reading “Spacefaring Sam: The Sun”