I live in Oregon, on the outskirts of a city where there's a scattering of cedar trees native only to this area. Most of the cedars here have grown for over a century, adding growth rings as farmhouses and cookie-cutter housing tracts were built around them. Years ago, I moved into one of those cedar-lined neighborhoods as a newlywed. At the time, I didn't appreciate our house--I'd envisioned something larger, sunnier, and certainly not an hour's drive from my workplace as a French teacher. But it was near the job my husband loved, and he'd purchased the house just before we'd gotten engaged. Moving to a point halfway between our workplaces still would have required a moderate commute for both of us. So instead of moving, we agreed that I would leave my teaching position at the end of that year.

“ I didn’t appreciate our house—I’d envisioned something larger, sunnier, and certainly not an hour’s drive from my workplace as a French teacher.”

Lacking a job, I began taking pre-medical courses, thinking I would return to my high school aspiration of becoming a Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner. But when my nursing school application was placed on a waiting list, we opted to try to start a family and let the career plans simmer.

Five years later, I don't regret choosing motherhood and leaving the workplace. As a new mom I found a community of knowledgeable mothers through La Leche League who gave me a lot of insight on purposeful parenting. My husband and I also started attending a local church where we met authentic people trying to understand God and His character. Awakened to new friends and opportunities for growth, I began to appreciate life as the gift that it is, regardless of my location. Speaking French with my children, accepting this house as a blessing, and delighting in our family has brought joy. In the French language, one doesn't often speak of happiness; instead, one speaks of being content. The difference, I think, is a matter of time and growth. I'm grateful for the changes that brought me to this place.

“In the French language, one doesn’t often speak of happiness; instead, one speaks of being content. ”

As I begin this blog, I hope that your roots, like those of the cedar trees around my home, grow steadily into deeper, richer soil as you experience life. May the ideas and posts here at Intentional Mama contribute to your growth and peace as we walk this life journey together. Thanks for joining me here.

*A vintage bungalow and a Hogan cedar near our home outside Portland, Oregon*

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