Last week the incomparable Jane at Theycallmejane’s Blog treated me to my very own Lemonade Stand – the Lemonade Stand Award for “those who show great attitude and gratitude.”
Funny, I usually think of myself as a person whose attitude tends a little too far toward the melancholy, and one who doesn’t spend quite enough time being grateful for all of her considerable blessings. So, needless to say, Jane’s kind gesture was both a surprise and an inspiration.
Have you met Jane, by the way? Now there is a woman who is the personification of powerful positivity. Jane tackles everything from parenting and race relations to blogging etiquette and our broken child welfare system, and she does it all with integrity, wisdom, and eloquence. I admire her strong voice and her kind spirit and I look forward to my daily stop at her place. Thanks, Jane, for sharing this award with me.
And now I’d like to pass along this sweet-tart treat to two women who leapt to mind immediately when I thought of “great attitude and gratitude”:
1. Ambrosia at Making the Moments Count: On her blog, Ambrosia offers an image of motherhood that is both honest and hopeful. She does not shy away from the stickier details of life with small children, but what keeps me coming back to read her again and again are her unflinching introspection and her ability to find the silver lining in the darkest cloud. I feel like Ambrosia is my own younger, wiser sister (thanks, Lindsey, for that phrase), paving the way for me in a way, despite the fact that she is a decade younger than I and her kids are smaller than mine. I encourage you to pay her a visit today.
2. Corinne at Trains, Tutus, and Twizzlers: Like Ambrosia and me, Corinne is the mother of two young children. Through her pictures and essays, she paints a luminous, inspiring portrait of modern motherhood. Like Ambrosia, she does not gloss over bandaged foreheads or migraine headaches, but she too conveys a sense of grace and gratitude about her work. The first post of hers that I read was about a trip to Walden Pond, very near to where I once lived; I experience that same feeling of coming home every time I visit Corinne. Go check her out!
Please click on over and visit these lyrical ladies. But first, does anyone want to buy a cup of lemonade?
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
So many of my favorite ladies mentioned in this post!! You are right–all three are stellar human beings! Congrats, Ambrosia and Corinne!
Love both blogs and both blog authors. Fantastic choices! (And, yes, I'll have a cup.)
What a lovely idea and thanks for introducing me to some excellent new blogs. For the record, I tend toward the melancholy myself. I'm looking forward to exploring your blog and finding out more about you.
Great recommendations. I read both of these wonderful women who do, indeed, convey a sense of the wearying constancy of motherhood, without losing sight of the bigger picture.Sweet or tangy, I'm all for lemonade!
Your blog is far from melancholy. I think the more appropriate word is introspective. It is the reason I keep coming back for more.And, thank you for this award! I hope I continue to live up to it!
Kristen, you are just too kind! And I disagree with your assessment of your writing. I think you infuse gratitude AND great attitude in your posts. You are a wise, thoughtful and introspective writer that I love reading every day!
Enjoyed the links you put up today. Thanks for stopping by my blog too. I've enjoyed browsing yours and hope to spend a little longer looking around when I have more time–which should be in about 18 years or so. :)
Hi! I'm so glad you popped by my blog, so I could find yours. It's lovely! I'll be back.
2 more great blogs to click around on…I am impressed with the level of creativity and honesty on these blogs, yours included Kristen.
Thank you for mentioning these two blogs–they sound like ones I would like to acquaint myself with. :) And I don't think of you as melancholy at all–you have a very lyrical way of writing, and it's not at all gushy or fake…but still very positive, I think.