Kara's Collection

Kara’s Collection: The Chief End of Man

Kara’s Collection: The Chief End of Man

From an article originally posted December 16, 2013…

I can’t sleep. My mind refuses to shut off tonight. I spent the day enjoying the small graces of my life. A slow morning with friends, food, the kids, a fire, and a movie with my oldest daughter. She snuggled close and held my hand through the movie. It felt like an important day. Tonight, as I was reading to my son, he rubbed his feet against mine just the way I do every evening. Jason used to try and hide his feet from me in the covers. Now my habit is a part of his evening routine.

Kara’s Collection: River, Joni Mitchell

Kara’s Collection: River, Joni Mitchell

From an article originally posted December 15, 2013…

Struggling to sleep tonight. My mind is too full of the coming week. The one test is causing the list of details for next week to be confused. Excited children implore me to do a myriad Christmas events. I look at them with a blank stare, hardly able to remember days. Parties, gifts, the best of the season is going on and I cannot focus. I want to be present, smiling, there, but I’m distracted. It frustrates me, I don’t want these tests to steal mind space, moment’s peace. Similar to last year, I have purchased and hidden toys. I’m not sure what I’ve purchased or where I’ve hidden them. I’m not sure if I’ve been shopping equally, or if one child has excess and another barely has anything. My hope is after Tuesday the fog will clear.

Kara’s Collection: Life as a Dance Party

Kara’s Collection: Life as a Dance Party

From an article originally posted December 13, 2013…

I’m spending hours carefully laboring over the playlist for our upcoming dance party. Ella and I listen, dance, discuss each song. This one starts slow, I think that one might have dropped an F-bomb. We play the music in the car, at home, and by the time the dance gets here we might all be a little tired of the music. My littlest asked for one song: Ice Ice Baby! It’s her favorite. It made the cut.

Kara’s Collection: Cautiously Optimistic

Kara’s Collection: Cautiously Optimistic

From an article originally posted December 12, 2013…

Yesterday was a good day. It was a great, good day. Since the start of my story with cancer it was the first call that didn’t have my sad oncologist on the other end of the line. I cried yesterday. I laughed, I danced, and I explained this good news in excruciating detail to my kids. It was my first good news to share.

Kara’s Collection: Threadbare Grace Dress

Kara’s Collection: Threadbare Grace Dress

From an article originally posted December 10, 2013…

I find myself in the midst of another day for my grace dress. This dress is tired, this dress is worn. I hold it to the light and see the hard year it has lived. Every chemo, most radiations, surgeries, hard appointments, sad days and many sad nights, this dress has seen better days.