Order Up! ‘Simplicity Soup’ — New Northeast Ohio Parent Blog

What is simplicity soup and might you like a serving too?

For starters, how did your world change the moment you learned you had a child coming into it?

For me, it was an annual visit that took place during the time we were struggling to conceive. It had been nearly a year. I was creeping to my mid-30s. We had waited 13 years before deciding it was time to dive into parenthood. We waited to become parents and then things didn’t happen as simply as we thought they would.

That May day, I took one more pregnancy test. I was doubtful, but I was a few days late and shared that info with the nurse. To my surprise and delight, she informed me, “You’re pregnant!” There were tears, hugs and joy. 

Life went down a new road. It was a road that I wanted to travel but it changed my plans, my lifestyle and my view forever. No need to panic if you are just starting down this road, it’s been a joyful —but adventurous path — and I would choose the same road again and again. 

But, it did rock my world. I saw things much differently than ever before. 

The day we brought our little girl home, it transformed every part of our life. From my sleep (she slept, I didn’t), to all the gear I thought we needed for her to survive, to how we pivoted our travel visions, financial priorities, and embraced the reality of work/life balance (spoiler alert: we are still working to find it). 

Truth: It has been occasionally terrifying.  And, there has been this whole new world in which joys are found in the smallest moments I never would have noticed without that little girl in tow. The block from the car to the library took longer than it should for any human, but there are insects to spot and flowers to smell along the way.  Bathtime and bedtime were events, sometimes filled with song, dance and applause. Mealtimes became messy and planning for mealtimes even more of a challenge. Time seemed to pause and then pass in a whirlwind and I wonder where those days, weeks and even years have gone.  Before becoming a parent, I was more efficient and organized, but I missed some of the small pleasures along the way. 

The simplest things. And then somehow, time passes, she grows, I have grown.The simplest things seemed to have gotten complicated. From parenting, to growing personally and professionally, to maintaining a healthy relationship, to creating the home we envisioned, to recognizing the world is large and time is short. So I question how we organize our time, spaces and even priorities? 

There are times that I cannot find what I need. I don’t get the things done that I wanted or needed to do. Clutter is everywhere and isn’t serving its purpose or meeting my or my family’s needs. I want more joy and less stuff. 

Hence, simplicity soup. Life gets complicated, so I’m taking learned lessons — as a parent, professional and personally — and am focusing on the good and good for you (and the family). I have to begun to understand the ingredients in my daily life. From the time clutter of to-dos and want-to-dos, to how to organize spaces and places to make for more efficiency and less challenge, to embracing more joy and less stuff. 

Simplicity soup is the recipe I’m following. Glad to have you joining me for the ride. Let’s embrace more simplicity, more time, less stuff and more joy.  

Have an idea? Challenge? Connect with me. Let’s make some simplicity soup together. Mmmmm….