Hi there!
A little reminder that these 5QTs are currently brief as I focus on my current book manuscriptâŚ
5 Quick Things âď¸
1. ICYMI, earlier this week I shared a letter I wrote to the parents of my students last year: âReal education is the formation of loving the right things the right way, and your goal as a parent should be to help this happen for your child.â
2. My second-born and I visited a potential college yesterday, and it's hard to believe I have another senior in high school in the house (didn't we just do this a few years ago? ...Oh right, that's how this works.) From my years of both parenting and teaching adolescents, I've come to the conviction that senior years are often ...let's just say they're time not spent well. Most young adults this age have plenty of class credits, and they're so burned out on school they become listless and restless, aching for some purpose to their days. I say let this be a sort-of gap year. Take the credits they need, yes, but then get a job, volunteer, find a mentor or apprenticeship, and/or learn a new skill. Go on a mission trip. Research and apply to places for your next steps, but don't be chained to a traditional senior year. Do something unconventional with these few rare months.
3. An observation as I write this book (and actually is one Iâve had the previous few books Iâve written, too): We modern readers actually enjoy shorter chapters. Not sure if this is because of the onset of the blog post circa 2004 (and all the forms of quick online writing has morphed into since then), but we appreciate when a book deftly says what it needs to sayâbeautifully, yes, but with brevity. I appreciate Dickens and Dostoevsky as much as the next gal, but I tip my hat to Anthony Doerrâs one-page chapters and Peter Kreeftâs ability to say something profound in one paragraph that would have taken an 18th-century philosopher three pages.
4. As I look at my next few months filled with helping a daughter plan a wedding and helping a son choose a college, I needed to read this beautiful piece from
ânot because Iâm living it, but because I did live it, and because itâs true even if it doesnât always feel like it: âI will miss being the center of my childrenâs world in this fleeting time when my world revolves around them. I will miss these days of being enveloped in an intensity that was never meant to last, but is mine to love.â5. And finally, from
, 40 of the coziest movie homes â this is one of those pieces I had to force myself to stop reading because I was using it as a personal distraction from having to write hard paragraphs in my book. (The only reason to watch Somethingâs Gotta Give is that house in the Hamptons, in my opinion.)
Currently Reading, Watching, Listening đť
This Reading Adventure playlist (good for both background music while writing and while teaching a class on ancient literature)
Quotable đŹ
âIt is not your business to succeed, but to do right; when you have done so, the rest lies with God.â
â C.S. Lewis
How do you like to learn new things? đ¤
If youâre like me, your first reaction to this question was, âWell, it depends on what Iâm learning.â History? Reading. How to cook a steak? Video. Whatâs what under the hood of my car? Person. The best way to write that dang paragraph I keep avoiding? Trial and error.
Reading: 44.9%
Taught by a person: 32.1%
Video: 14%
Trial and error: 8.8%
Find next weekâs poll here.
Join Me in Scotland đ´ó §ó ˘ó łó Łó ´ó ż
Next summerâs family-friendly pilgrimage is the historic Highlands of Scotland â weâll be visiting castles, exploring the Isle of Skye, attending the Highland Games, and more. Iâd love you to join me and my family!
Quick Links đ
đ Read my books
đ´ó §ó ˘ó łó Łó ´ó ż Join the next pilgrimage!
Question(s) For You to Ponder⌠đ¤
What are you taking far too seriously right now?
Have a great weekend,
- Tsh
p.s. - Iâve wondered this, too.
Thanks so much for sharing that, Tsh. I re-read it this last week, and realized I have children almost the exact same ages as when I wrote it (because of our spacing, we've had this mirroring of certain dynamics). I recently learned of this brain thing I can't remember the fancy word for -- basically the feedback system that sets expectations and helps you determine (internally) if you're making progress... I think that writing, and re-iterating that some things are not in my imagination is so important for my expectation management. I have picked up on these cycles, "Oh, I always feel __ in mid July" and "I feel like my life is never going to be orderly again, but it's really just the baby, toddler, 4 year old combo doing me in"... and here I am, still kicking (maybe) ;)
Shorter chapter fan here! đââď¸