The Rhythm of Family

rhythm of family: laurakbray

            I found the book, The Rhythm of Family by Amanda Soule, sitting with the other “crunchy granola mama” books I had collected over the course of raising my daughter. The last time I dusted the shelves I thought to myself, what will I ever do with these books?  I am at the end of my child rearing days. Should I give them to a another young mother so she can enjoy them? Keep them for my daughter? 

I opened the book and found highlighted passages. It surprised me to read words that represented the life I had built for my daughter, for our family:

“…I find it most essential to stay clear and focused on the life that I want live. I find myself thinking daily, sometimes hourly, about the ways I need to direct my actions to incorporate the important pieces of creativity, nature, and family that we value into our busy lives.”

            As I delved deeper into the book, I realized that so many of our traditions came from the book. They eventually became so ingrained into the cycle of our lives, I had forgotten how they started. 

             In its pages I found our tradition of marking the beginning of each season with a walk, on the same trail, to see how it (and we) changed over the course of a year.

            The oat bread recipe that was a regular staple for school lunches was in the book too. It was that recipe that made me a bit of an outcast, labeled a “hippie” by some of the other moms because I made bread from scratch. It was this same bread that prompted my daughter to brag to her friend that the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches they were eating were made with homemade bread. Her friend replied that her mom made sandwiches with store-bought bread. Both girls were equally impressed by the other mother’s lunch making abilities.

            It was from The Rhythm of Family that the idea to create a collection of holiday books that were only put out during the Christmas season, one book added to it each year. I just put away our large collection of those books the other day. No one reads them nightly to anyone else anymore, but each year, when I open the box at the beginning of December, my daughter always sits down and flips through the books and is reminded of the childhood wonder of the season.

           So much of our lives was inspired by that very book, how could I possibly think of getting rid of it? As much as I want to share the inspiration with my friends who are still mothering young children, I don’t think I can let my copy go. I want my daughter to have it, to someday flip through it and find new traditions for her future children and to remember the ones from her childhood. The rhythm of family indeed.

What books have changed your life?

Comments

  1. I like to keep books like that too, that are so meaningful to the way that I have lived my life. I am not sure if I have any parenting books like that - I sure wish I had read that when the boys were young, I think I would have loved it. It's funny, I was just cleaning out my bookshelves yesterday and came across all the children's books that I am saving. So many that have such special memories attached!

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    1. I have entire shelf dedicated to children's books in my studio that were MY childhood books.

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  2. I enjoyed reading this. Thank you for sharing. ❤️

    Rather than books, I would say that certain authors have changed my life. Tara Brach and Kris Franken are two authors who have impacted how I view myself and how I parent. I trust my intuition more and have worked to teach my daughters to do the same.

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    1. I really enjoy Tara Brach too. I've read her books and listen to her podcast.

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  3. It feels silly to say, but maybe The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up changed my life? Perhaps not the instructions in the book, but just the idea that I could ruthlessly get rid of things, and everything would be OK. I have been much more minimalist in years since reading it. I love Amanda Soule's work - I subscribe to her magazine Taproot.

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    1. Amanda Soule is great. I love Taproot magazine! I've been hoping to get an article in that magazine. I suppose I should submit something for that to happen!

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  4. What a lovely assortment of traditions you created for your family. Save the book in case I decide to move in and you need to pamper me. :)

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    1. Okay Sue. Oatmeal bread will be coming out of the oven next time you come to visit me!

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  5. The book I go back to every summer is The Gift of The Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. It tells me to slow down, to find solitude, to embrace the simplicity of a day on the beach. I scour thrift shops and buy up copies and give them away, especially to those friends or people I meet who need to find their sense of quiet and peace.

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    1. The Gift of the Sea is great. I reread it whenever I start to get annoyed with my husband! LOL! Seriously though, it reminds the annoyance is more than likely there because I'm not taking care of myself first.

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  6. I love reading your posts; they always inspire me. Love the traditions you have created with your family. I just might have to read The Gift of the Sea with your excellent recommendation. We really would love to visit you and your family, just can't seem to get moving since COVID. Perhaps you'd like to visit Arizona; we'd love to have you. Best regards always!

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  7. That sounds like such a great book. I wish I had known of it when my kids were young.

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