A chance to fall in love again

Introducing Eva Grace 🌸

“Inside everyone is a great shout of joy waiting to be born.”

— David Whyte 

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Hello there! And welcome to Dandelion Seeds, an illustrated newsletter that’s hand-painted and hand-lettered, from my desk to yours.

This week, Jose and I celebrated our first Christmas in Belgium, complete with chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and matching family pajamas. But there was something else that made the day even more special.

Elena’s little sister, Eva Grace, arrived just over one week ago, so it was also our first Christmas as a family of four.

Eva’s arrival has meant a sudden return to life with a newborn — to the weight of a tiny new human in my arms, and her tiny head resting on my chest. It has meant a dozen diaper changes a day and feedings at night, when Eva and I are the only ones in the house awake.

It’s during those quiet midnight hours, as I stare down at the scrunched little face of a person I’m only just beginning to get to know, that I’ve found myself with time to think. And I’ve been thinking about some of the biggest journeys I’ve been on in my life so far.

My journey to become a writer and to make a living from doing what I love.

My journey of falling in love with Jose and learning how to build a life together.

And my journey of becoming a mother last year and slowly figuring out our new rhythms as a family, when it was Elena’s tiny nose and fluttering eyelids I would stare down at as the rest of the world was asleep.

I’ve been thinking about how much angst I felt during each of those unfoldings; about how hard it was for me to hold the uncertainty, and to trust that it would all work out.

And I’ve been thinking of a post I shared a few weeks ago, “What if we only get to do this once?” which was inspired by this moving essay by

Courtney Martin

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I wasn’t sure if new motherhood was a journey I would only get to do once, but now that Eva is here, I find myself with the privilege of welcoming another new life into the world.

It feels like a gift, like a chance to fall in love again. But this time, I want to try and have a little more trust.

To be as present as possible, and to fully enjoy — and find even more joy — in this journey.