Perhaps I Am A Bear

Perhaps I am a bear, 
or some hibernating animal underneath, 
for the instinct to be half asleep all winter is so strong in me. 

-Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I love nuts and berries and being buried in blankets, cozy and cave-like. In the book, The Medicine Wheel, Bear is my animal totem, my power animal, my spirit teacher. This is based on my birth month which is September. 

Thanks to the Medicine Wheel calendar, I'm not a Sturgeon. 

(I believe that's October.) 

I am a bear. I even kind of look like one. 

When the black bear walked by our back door I followed it. 
Through the yard, around trees, near the stone wall.
It turned to look at me. 
I said, hey and waved. 
Bear stared at me, then lumbered on.
I felt the connection.

My kids thought I was nuts. Barefoot mom runs after bear. 
Why? Why must you do that?
Because I'm a bear. Get over it.

Owen portraying me as a bear.

It's been a long winter. (Understatement)

Like weary animals, Bostonians are just peeking out of their homes today, right on time for the Spring Equinox and another snow storm? We didn't get Boston kind of snow. We got enough. Enough to keep us home from school, at least once a week for two months. This only reinforced my bear-behavior. 

 books

 bed

 blankets
 wine (not in bed!)

 window to see the world outside

+tea

= Bear cave

I shoveled, went sledding. Got milk. How else would Claire eat her cereal? When there weren't snow days, I did work. Because I work in two schools with young children, I now shout in my sleep -

sneeze into your damn elbow! 

(Home today because somebody didn't sneeze into their elbow. Jaden? Violet? Chris?)

In January, I accidentally joined a cross fit gym. They call it the box. After school I'd go do 80 burpees, throw a medicine ball at the wall, lift 55 lbs in power snatches - okay, it was 35 lbs. 

But what about that name, power snatch?

Between colds (this is my second), sneeze into your elbow, Claire's track schedule ( a totally bogus excuse to get out of burpees), and not being ready to give up my hibernation, I quit the box and bought myself a kettle bell. I've watched the video of how to use it and feel a little more toned already. 

So, life hasn't been complete bear bed rest.

And I've been writing, just not here. Not to say I haven't missed you. I have. You know when you're out of touch for so long, it's embarrassing to say, hey, I'm still here. Because people move on if you sleep too long. 

Hey, I'm still here. Hoping you're still here too.

xo 

b