With the windchill it was about -15 today; add the garbage cans & compost bins; add hard lumpy ice; add lack of sun; add on-and-off flurries and you've got the perfect recipe for yet another cabin fevered wintry Tuesday in Toronto.
We bundled up and headed on an outdoor adventure (read: errands and the promise of chocolate treats).
Sometimes the choices I make leave me feeling lonely. Like today, as I was trudging up a steep incline pushing about 100 pounds of flesh and metal. I was thinking 'does it really matter to mother earth that I chose to be a car free parent? will any of this matter to my kids?' Sometimes I feel like the choices I make cause me so much work; so much exhaustion. Sometimes I honestly wish I didn't care. I wish everything wasn't so fu#%*N political. But of course, I have been blessed with angels crossing my paths, and always, always, they leave me feeling like I'm part of a community. Part of the world, the world that needs me to keep doing what I'm doing.
Today the angel was a woman, early 60's, walking down the path I was struggling up. She smiled at me and her body language told me she was going to stop to let me by. Somehow the sidewalk opened up and there was room for both our caravans. She was pulling a wooden wagon stacked with cardboard boxes from which peeked out signs of groceries. She said 'wow, this must be so hard for you', and I said 'and you too'. We both laughed and got into a great conversation about the merits of walking and fresh air being free therapy etc etc.
We said goodbye, wished each other a nice day and my angel was gone. Leaving me with a silly humongous smile. I thought 'there goes the woman I'd love to be in 20 years'.
After all our errands got done the kids and I collapsed indoors, so happy to be inside our beautiful warm home. jr cookie monster literally kissed the side of the fire place and said 'hi home, we missed you'. I said 'wow, that was a great,' and he interrupted me and said 'adventure', and I said 'yes, adventure'!
Rambling on to say that I'm grateful that the winter helped us meet an angel today.
Tuesday, February 19
Upper Beach adventure - on the rocks!
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2 comments:
Car-free parent? Always? Everyday? I am in awe. You keep raising the bar. I just made 20 excuses for why I *must* have a car, but this thought emerged too: "We would be a zillion times healthier if we had to walk for our dinner... a billion-zillion." I am glad that angel crossed your path, and I believe she saw one too!
Every week day I am car free; Sat & Sun I have access to my husband's vehicle.
Please don't be in awe. After I posted this I got photos of our African foster child and I thought 'this darling angel pees in a hole in the ground, and I'm whining about pushing a stroller up a hill'.
Are you considering giving up your car?
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