Mother Love

We have a Mexican-style meal in our home almost once a week on average, often with leftovers enough for lunch and/or another meal the next night. I like to do a big Chipotle inspired burrito bowl spread with rice, chicken, beans, sautéed peppers and onions, and toppings of cheese, sour cream, and guacamole. It’s such a filling tasty meal and while it does take a good bit of prep work for all the different dishes, I just make enough for a few more meals and the next day is a breeze in the kitchen since everything is already done and it’s just a matter of making a plate, warming it up, and enjoying it all over again.

And it’s never a complete Mexican meal without a big dish of pico de gallo to throw on top of our bowls and for chip dipping on the side. We prefer pico de gallo over salsa (this is an interesting read on the difference between the two), because it’s just so fresh and bursting with flavor. It’s an easy dish to make, and since I actually find chopping vegetables and other food prep almost kind of therapeutic, it’s really one of my favorite things to throw together right before we sit down to eat.

We like a ton of cilantro in our pico de gallo, but add only as much as your taste prefers. Also, salt…do not skimp on the salt. I’ll give you my basic recipe, but definitely adjust seasonings and such to your own preference…as long as you don’t skimp on cilantro and salt, hehe.

Pico De Gallo

1 cup diced tomato
1 cup diced yellow or red onion
juice of one lime
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. paprika

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Enjoy!

Well, it’s been a while!

I’ve been on little break from online sharing for the past few weeks, and let me tell you…it has been so refreshing. So good for my soul! The world is full of noise, and social media is probably one of the loudest, busiest forms of that noise for me…and to just let it go for a season of quiet and introspection was just so revitalizing to my mind and heart. I missed it in some ways, and yet I didn’t. I mean, there is a measure of community and connection that happens in these online, digital spaces…but yet what I’ve seen so much clearer in these past few weeks of not engaging in social media is that while yes, it’s a form of community, it’s just not community. It’s a form of friendship yes, but it’s just not friendship. True community and true friendship and true connection happens in the time spent with another, and when an online space creates distraction or tries to be a replacement for the actual relationships in my life, then that’s just foolish.

In the past few weeks, I’ve spent more time engaging with my husband and watching my little girl do all her funny things while she plays and read more books and spent more time in quietness and felt so much more fully present than I have in a long time. I wasn’t tempted to pick up my phone when something fun or cute was happening…I was just there, fully, present, engaged. I realized that I don’t need to share the sweet, beautiful moments of my life and that I rather need to just live them and enjoy them and to store them in my own heart.

Now all that to say, I’m not stepping away from social media…because like I said, it is a form of friendship, connection, and community. And I like it. I’ve missed seeing what my friends are doing and sharing…while yet also relishing just seeing and doing my own life. I’ve missed being inspired by other people’s creativity and life…while yet also savoring feeling the freedom from the temptations of comparison and competition. I’ve missed having an outlet for photos and thoughts…while yet also really enjoying the time spent just not sharing anything. So it’s a juxtaposition, and in many ways I’m still trying to figure it all out and formulate my own rules of balance in it. But for now, I’m dipping my toes back into blogging and sharing some things again on Instagram and even Snapchat (still not sure how I feel about that one and basically have no idea what i’m doing there, hehe).

Some things to remember about social media::

The majority of what you see from online sharing (especially Instagram) is a curated version of someone’s life. When you curate something, it means you pull together, sift through, and select for presentation. Not everyone curates or uses their social media for an artistic outlet, but just remember that the majority of what is shared is the highlight reel and most people only share the photo with the best lighting/angles/setup. I curate my Instagram feed because for me it is an artistic outlet for pretty things and pretty photos that I like…but just remember that! I curate.
No one has the perfect life. No one! Even that gorgeous blogger with a million followers and all the prettiest things has sinks full of dishes and laundry piles and bad hair days like the rest of us. Just because someone doesn’t share something (like dirty kitchens/frizzy hair/fussing children) doesn’t mean it’s not there. I don’t share photos of my dirty corners because I don’t find that artistic or beautiful, but trust me, they are there.
Do not compare, do not compare, do not compare. Just don’t compare.
It’s meant to be a form of friendship, but never at the expense of missing a connection with your husband or children or friends. You don’t have to pull the phone camera out at every special moment.
Sometimes the best memories are the ones that are just captured in your mind and heart.
But also, it can be right and good to share your life and inspiration with others. Your life and your heart and your creativity can bless others!