The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting

Wow. I am totally in love with this lecture, The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting by Brené Brown that I've been listening to. I was lucky enough to win a book from her blog (it was so good, by the way) and when she mailed it, she threw in a copy of her recorded lecture. I had no idea what a gift she was giving to me.

{{{{Deep breath}}}}

I am so excited about it, I keep sharing bits with my husband, my friends, my colleagues, basically anyone who will listen to me. And I'm not even done with it yet.

So far, this is the basic idea that permeates all that I've heard:

“What if our children are imperfect when they get here and it’s our job to teach them loving-kindness?”

A while ago, I wrote this in an interview for Bella...

I want to be patient and quiet and unruffled. My children teach me daily that I'm not any of those things quite yet. I want to be loving and joyful and strong. My children teach me daily that these are what I have to be.

What I love about the connection between these two ideas is that not only are my kids imperfect (and that imperfect is OKAY), but I'm imperfect too...and that's part of life.

I feel like I have so much more to process and consider and think about thanks to Brené. My mind is racing, I have so many ideas and thoughts on how to integrate and accept and use her beautiful words.

A few more thoughts: First of all, Brené is running a track-by-track commentary on her blog for the whole CD. It's great. And since she writes like she talks, I can now hear her voice. Which cracks me up. Secondly, run, do not walk, to buy this CD. Trust me on this one.

This is definitely working for me right now. Go see what's working for other people.

Wow!

I feel so special
I'm someone else's subject --
front page of her blog!

A series of posts
interviews with awesome gals
and she picked me too!

I hope I can be
always as wise as I sound
in my interview!

Go see Bella's blog
read all her amazing posts
she's so inspiring.

Plus she's helping Jen
in a really awesome way
make sure you go see.

Thanks for the amazing opportunity, Bella! It was such a joy to answer such thoughtful and thought-provoking questions. I really look forward to our meeting in "real life" too!

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach (a happy Passover) to all!

P.S. Torah haikus will return next week after Pesach cleaning...

See other haiku-writers here...

Year-End, Blogs, and Five Places I've Been This Week

What a year it's been for me!

I began 2007 pregnant and started blogging not long after my 3rd baby was born in February, while I was on maternity leave. Since then, I've written 200 posts* and have been having a ball in blog-land. I blogged about Passover, my favorite Jewish children's books, but things didn't take off until I joined a 30-day blogging challenge in August. Definitely kick-started me, and I'm now hooked on comments and contests. I took a bottled water challenge, and I started writing haikus, which led me to join in the Haiku Friday fun with weekly haikus of the Torah portion. My oldest child started kindergarten, and I was there to blog about it. I joined in the Wrapped Emotions party and I was even chosen to be a guest blogger. I participated in some group writing projects and I've gotten some awards. I went to the mikveh, and, you guessed it, I blogged about it. I hosted a Chanukah Countdown Party and, possibly my coolest blogging achievement, I was invited to be a Biennial Blogger for the Union for Reform Judaism Biennial Convention. (Plus, I've actually done things outside of my blogging life!)

Plus I've made lots of new friends and found a whole new community out here in blogworld.

What's on tap for 2008 here at Ima on and off the Bima?

You can look forward to a Tu B'Shevat Tree Celebration Week (maybe I'll come up with a better name) in January. How do you find someone to give you a giveaway??? I need one. Anyone out there in the Internet want to give me something to give away to my loyal readers? For Tu B'Shevat, it might be best to have a "green" themed giveaway. Or a tree.

Other than that, stay tuned. Who knows what I'll have up my sleeve here! I'm traveling to Israel in February so hopefully I'll be able to blog that trip as well.

In honor of this little wrap-up, I thought I'd share some linky-love to some of my current favorite blog-reads. One of the first posts I ever wrote was about blog-reading so it makes sense to list a few more! These are not all the blogs I read (love my Google Reader) but they're some of the ones I check for new posts first! Go visit my friends.

Around the Island -- Robin (in Israel) can always be counted on for great writing and interesting stories.

Beyond the Map -- Bella is thoughtful and thought-provoking. I love reading her posts.

Cheerio Road -- Karen is the author of Momma Zen and her blog really shows how she puts her writing into real life practice. Good for her for showing that she's not all talk but really lives her message. (read her book, it's great)

Frume Sarah -- is a new "real" friend that I met at the Biennial, and I'm so excited to have found, as Anne Shirley would say, a kindred spirit. She writes a great blog (and poor baby, her whole family ended up with lice this week. Visit her and give sympathy!)

Scribbit -- Michelle at Scribbit is a mom living in Alaska of all places, and she shares things like winter camping (why???) and hosts a writing contest each month too.

UPDATED: My brother insists that I link to his blog here too. He is having an Israel adventure and posting all sorts of fun things. Go visit him and comment. I'm trying to teach him how addicting much fun comments are!

for some other blogs I read (like this one, this one, or this one), go here.

*Crazy isn't it -- this little wrap-up post is #200!!!

Happy New Year to all y'all out there....may this year bring blessings and peace. Keep on visiting!

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Five Places I've Been This Week...

Holiday Muzak Kills Brain Cells

Eco-Friendly Promo Products

Coffee Cozy Tutorial

Benazir Bhutto assassinated!

Breaking the Code of Ritual Observance

from my del.icio.us. Where have you been?

Awards....and 5 Places I've Been this Week

Ooh am I behind in my blogging manners. I am so bad at these awards, let me tell you! Which doesn't mean that I don't appreciate them:-)

You Make Me Smile, from Robin at Around the Island (I giggle a little, because she passed this award to me in a post entitled "World's Worst-Mannered Blogger" which I feel now applies to me instead!) If I could, I'd re-gift the award back to Robin, since her posts always make me smile. She is a great writer and won an honorable mention that was well-deserved in Scribbit's Write-away contest this month! I pass this award on to Brad at the Egel Nest. I enjoy all of his posts, but I have to make sure you read this one that definitely made me smile. Or this one. Or this one. Hey, he deserves it!

Blogging Star award, from Helena, the Thrice Blessed Momma

This award is for bloggers who shine their light throughout the Blogosphere. Some do it with humor, others with creativity, and others with their kind and thoughtful natures. We all know more than a few of them so why not give them some recognition?
Here's what to do if you receive this:
* Proudly display it on your blog along with a link to who gave it to you.
* Mention that it originated here at Skittles' Place so I can follow its journey.
* Pass it on to any blogger(s) you think should have it.

I have to admit, I would again re-gift this back to Helena. Her story is so inspiring and I love to read how she handles her wonderful (three!) five-year-olds. Plus, she sure knows how a mom needs a day off, and I agree and appreciate that one.

I gift this award to Melody at Slurping Life and Wrapped Emotions. She has been going through a lot lately, and her light shines through it all. The creation of the Wrapped Emotions project-blog has, I think, been an incredible addition to the blogosphere. Each week she challenges her participants (anyone!) to unwrap themselves just a little bit more through artistry. She is truly amazing, which you will see when you read either of her blogs.

Community Blogger Award from Marci...

This award was created by Sultana Blog. It is a Community Blogging Award designed to "celebrate people who reach out and makes the blogger community a better one."

I am super-honored by this award because I just wrote an article for my synagogue newsletter all about my blogging life and how I feel that it is all about building community! Marci, I think, understands me better than most since she is a fellow rabbi! She, too, deserves this award!

I am passing it on to Amy, the Crunchy Domestic Goddess. Amy was one of the first bloggers I started reading regularly, back when she was pregnant with her second baby. I was pregnant with my third, so I enjoyed reading her updates as I also got bigger. I am so impressed with the change and growth in her blog over the past year or so that I've been reading (wow, a year?) and the way that she "puts herself out there" to create the kind of bloggy community that she (and I) want to be a part of.

All of these awards truly make me speechless with joy. I am so honored that there are folks out there reading along with me as I post each (almost) day...it's so much fun and such a blessing in my life to be a part of the blog community. Thank you!

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Five Places I've Been this Week

Butternut Squash Risotto, at Simply Recipes

Teen Faces Punishment for Long Hair ...oy.

Right Brain vs. Left Brain (thanks to Rocks in my Dryer for this link)

Your Modifier is Dangling (New York Times)

Codes for Background and Text Colors in HTML and XML (who knew these things were so important!)

from my del.icio.us

Sunday Around the Web - Jewish Blogs

Here are some of the Jewish blogs that I like. Some of them I read regularly!


The Fly Fishing Rabbi -- a classmate of mine who has a strange fascination with fish. But still a good read:-)


An Unsealed Room -- no relation, but Allison Kaplan Sommer writes a pretty nice blog about life in Israel. Last summer she gave excellent commentary on the war in Lebanon. (Isn't it hard to believe that was just last summer??)

Jewcy's Faithhacker -- so many interesting things on Jewcy I can't even start to count them! Not all family-friendly, so to speak. But all are thought-provoking, for sure.

Juggling Frogs -- for the links to the parasha (Torah portion) cakes alone, this blog is great!

So as I'm writing this post, I'm totally getting distracted by other blogs...ack! Start with these and if you have some more to suggest, please comment below!

...and of course, if you want more there's always jewishblogging.com -- I can't seem to get registered on their site.

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Five Places I've Been This Week:

The Awakened Heart Project - check out the podcast of the morning prayer service.

Rabbinical School is Ruining My Love Life - on Jewcy, a great site. And it's by a friend of mine from way long ago from camp

Mama Merit Badges - I so want a set.

Wedding Dresses on eBay - no, not getting married again. contemplating selling mine!

Gymboree -- we had so much fun doing Gymbo with Anne Marie in Cleveland that I think we're going to sign up Sam and Yael forthe fall....