August 2012
31 posts
Day 279: Children’s Clarity
Tonight when we were in the middle of a discussion about some challenging people, our daughter J interrupted us, saying, “They’re being energy vampires so don’t let them waste your time. You could be using the same time to have fun with us.”
The resounding truth in her words stopped us dead in our tracks. She went on to remind us of our experience with Alice and observed...
July 2012
31 posts
Day 278: It Gets Done
Today we experienced more drama and excitement around our house sale “project” but it also was the beginning of our getting back to work. Charles has an important meeting tomorrow for the film he’s scoring and today he was able to complete a sketch of his first ever official film cue! It’s only a minute of music, but it feels like something of a milestone for him after two years of theory and...
Day 277: Practice Magic, Moment By Moment
Having this moment of quietude that has been lacking lately feels so soothing. The girls went up to their rooms as soon as we arrived home, and we are left alone. They seemed to have received enough attention from us over the weekend during our stay at a nearby hotel. Attention deficiency is the ailment that J diagnosed herself with ever since we started the home sale “project” and she takes any...
Day 276: Vikings and Valkyries
We survived the snow, Defeated the Troll-Men, and Saved the priest’s daughter.
Today in our hotel room “home away from home” we played a game of “Vikings and Valkyries” run by our daughter S. It was quite an adventure where our party of a Viking, a Sorceress, an Elf and a Warrior-Princess had to fight the elements, wild animals and monsters to save the daughter of the late priest of the village...
Day 275: Second Weekend Out
Second weekend out — One step back to rest again. While moving ahead.
Our challenge these days, is to live what we know is true: that we are called to move ahead even as we wait. It’s not easy because we are used to linear living, but it is what we are practicing now. It’s not a comfortable place to be, but it feels more alive than when we were living under the illusion of comfort and...
Day 274: Patient Children
This summer vacation didn’t really start out the way our daughters expected. As much as we tried to integrate play into our daily routine, as the listing date for our house approached, our work intensified and our daily and weekend play time slipped quite a bit. Now that we’re more in the waiting stage, we’ve made family play time a priority (as well as getting back to our daily walks) but...
Day 273: Pregnant Pause
Ready for D-Day; Dealing with uncertainty One day at a time.
As of tomorrow, it will be nine months since October 26, 2011 when Jung left Microsoft and we launched Soul Play Family. Since human pregnancy lasts about nine months, this milestone brings back memories of the time when we were pregnant and awaiting the arrival of our daughters. Their expected date of birth was right around Christmas...
Day 272: Working in the Now
Ever since we made the decision to move to Massachusetts, we’ve steadily scaled back on what we generally consider to be “our work” and instead made preparing our house for sale into our new work. Now that we’re showing our house, we’re feeling our gears shifting back again.
Although we know that one of our next steps is to move back to the East Coast, we have also learned that our life is not...
Day 271: Needs vs. Wants
We were reminded today that Life gives us what we need and not necessarily what we want.
We have been staying at a nearby hotel since last Thursday night to avoid the inconveniences inherent in living in our house while we are showing it to potential buyers. Inconveniences such as making sure that the house looks clean and tidy. It isn’t as easy as it sounds when children live in the house. We,...
Day 270: Stay-cation Haiku
Being close to home. It’s good to know where we are, But not exotic.
Our mini-vacation has been fun. We’ve enjoyed all the pampering that comes from living in a hotel and eating out and we’ve even discovered a new restaurant and re-discovered a couple old favorites. Distinctly (and happily) missing was the stress of trying to find our way around that usually comes from being away from home.
...
Day 269: Blessings Haiku
Counting our blessings: Good weather, good friends; good food. We’re rich and grateful.
Day 268: Friendship Haiku
Friendship wins over
All acts of the Universe.
There’s always a way.
Tomorrow we’re meeting an old classmate of S and J at a nearby park. After the downpour we had today, J told us that nothing would get in the way of her seeing her friend tomorrow, saying, “friendship transcends cosmic decisions.”
We think that the Universe loves friendship, but we still appreciate J’s loyalty...
Day 267: Mini-Vacation Haiku
Mini vacation:
Although 10 minutes from home,
We’ve come a long way.
Day 266: Synchronicity Haiku
Synchronicity: It’s not what happens to us; It’s our awareness.
Day 265: Haiku for Rest
Longing for calmness, Relaxation, rest and peace. Ah, but they’re within.
Day 264: Working Together
Yesterday’s haiku has a story behind it. It’s an observation that a few of the “helpful hands” around us have made as they see us work. These are people who have been around couples in the midst of selling their homes and they have all said the same thing: most couples are at each other’s throats by now. We, on the other hand, are still working together easily, laughing, and having fun even when...
Day 263: Working Together Haiku
Working together, with teamwork, laughter and joy: Work becomes like play.
Day 262: Yoda Haiku
X-Wing freed from swamp. “I don’t, I don’t believe it.” “That is why you fail.”
Tonight we rented Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back and were reminded of how many great lines Yoda has. The one from the haiku was one of our favorites.
It’s not that only believing is enough. We must act on our beliefs as well. But without belief there is nothing to act on.
Day 261: Massachusetts Signs Haiku
Transplanted natives, Honking cars and lightning strikes: All pointing to MA.
Over the last few days we’ve been meeting more-and-more people who grew up in Eastern Massachusetts. Although we’ve met plenty of people from Massachusetts for the past eight years, it feels like a disproportionate percentage of the people we’ve met recently grew up a short drive from Boston. In addition, when...
Day 260: Brave Haiku
Went out to see Brave. It inspired all of us. Our fate is inside.
Day 259: Full Circle Haiku
Seattle summer, Just like the day we arrived. We come full circle.
When we moved to the Seattle area in April 2004, not only were we greeted with perfect weather: sunny and 70s, but the weather persisted, day after day, through the rest of the Spring, into Summer and until late August. We were warned by the locals that it was an unusual year and we shouldn’t expect a repeat performance. Sure...
Day 258: Expansion Haiku
No right or wrong way; Life’s all about expansion. We go with the flow.
Today we observed that when we get stressed out it’s because we’re more focused on what we want our experience to be, than we are on learning from our experience. We desire particular circumstances or a particular outcome. We become wrapped up in wanting and lose sight of being.
Those desires keep us living in some other...
Day 257: Helpful Hands Haiku
One huge step closer To the next stage in our lives, Thanks to helpful hands.
Day 256: Next Stage Haiku
Moving to next stage: From sorting through all our things To packing away.
Day 255: Movie Night Haiku
Movie night planned by Entertainment Committee. It’s good to sit down.
Day 254: Making Room
Three days ago we wrote about our current “Whole House Review” and all the ways that it is benefitting our awareness. There is one more very important benefit which we know is waiting for us on the other side of this project: room to create something new.
By shedding both the excess things in our lives as well as the ideas and ideals that they represent which we no longer subscribe to, we make...
Day 253: Evening Walk Haiku
Beautiful sunshine Peeking through on evening walk. Blessèd family time.
Day 252: Fourth of July Reflections
What do we need to become independent from today?
Our founding fathers declared independence from the tyranny of the monarchy.
What tyrannical forces surround us today that are stifling our yearning for innovation, creativity, and imagination?
What powerful authority stops us from daring to dream what we are born to claim or reclaim?
Who is telling us that it is better to serve the tyrannical...
Day 251: Whole House Review
In many ways what we’re doing right now is a giant review. We’re making sure we see and touch every item in the house, recognize it for what it is, and make a decision about it. We’re going about this slowly and methodically for a number of reasons.
First and foremost, we want to be conscious about all the things which are in our lives. Some things are precious: select pieces of our daughters’...
Day 250: Decluttering Home Haiku
Decluttering home; Reconfiguring our lives With fresh perspective.
Day 249: Soul Play Family Entertainment Committee
We’ve instituted a bit of daily schedule here at Soul Play Family. We try to end our work by 5:00 p.m., have an early dinner and then do something fun after dinner. Occasionally that means watching a movie, but usually our “entertainment committee” (co-chaired by S and J) takes charge with something role-playing-game-related.
Generally speaking, during the week-nights, they will help us with...
