Spanish Banks In March

           With all the changes going on around here these days we are finding that- as a family- it is abundantly clear we need to seriously connect on the weekends- with each other and ourselves- to seak out familiar places that hold comfort. Learning to juggle family life- a full time job and my own art practice is proving more tricky than I ever anticipated- my hats go off to families that do this with babies and toddlers- we are all learning to navigate new territory here. Trying to find a balance or at least find a rhythm to our days has led to me really appreciating quite family time on the weekends- this weekend we headed to our favourite spot in the city to recharge a little- Spanish Banks.

        Spanish Banks has always been a place of quiet freedom for my kids- a place where they can roam without too much parental supervision- although parents are usually drawn into their play- in this case the building of Inukshuks. While my family builds friendship statues with rock I can sit back for a few minutes and watch the water- the waves washing away the constant chatter in my mind- a meditation on white noise. Although a slight chill still permeates the air- warm socks and hoodies keep us cozy- across the bay fog catches in the mountains and valleys- this is March on the West Coast.

         Watching my babes stretch their long legs as they scramble over boulders and logs I am constantly amazed at how quickly this life is speeding by- as our days become increasingly full I am mindful of my time with them. For me it's not so much about filling our time together with experiences or things- it's about being together- perfect or messy it doesn't really matter what that time looks like. While this is just a snippet of our weekend- it doesn't show the laundry or the arguing- the cartoons or the dirty floors- this is the bit that I am choosing to focus on and carry with me- deep in my heart through the week!