Christopher Robin & Winnie-the-Pooh Speak to Loss & Covid Pandemic

Life events, simple pleasures, hard times, and moments of joy continue during the Coronavirus Pandemic. This week, our family grieves the passing of a loved one, my husband’s cousin. She died of a brain hemorrhage. We mourn with her children, parents, and grandmother. Sentiments from our recent family movie, Goodbye Christopher Robin, ring true. Christopher Robin’s childhood coming... Read more »
By Julia Passamani,
August 16, 2020 at 4:29 pm • 

Wisconsin's natural charm sparks hope & wonder during pandemic

We cross winding rivers 100 miles from our Chicago concrete urban space. Bright city lights fade as Midwestern neighbors and Wisconsin loved ones social distance. Faded rustic farmhouses dot our horizon. Green pastures calm our pandemic angst. Towering maples and oak trees guide us along cobbled roads. Our boys run through open fields surrounded by lake and creeks. They... Read more »
By Julia Passamani,
July 5, 2020 at 4:34 pm • 

We grieve, empathize & listen this end of school year

Profound teachable moments among world events overshadow Coronavirus news, risks, and fleeting frustrations of home learning. Today, our boys grieve the horrific death of George Floyd and so many other victims of racial injustice and police brutality. We offer our deepest condolences to the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others. We pause as we... Read more »
By Julia Passamani,
May 31, 2020 at 11:22 am • 
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Shelter in place work life response & reality for Covid-19 pandemic

Each person and family experiences this chaotic and uncertain shelter in place from their unique perspective. Staggering facts, about physical and mental illness, financial hardship and unemployment, take our breath away. Together, we grieve and grasp moments of joy and extra time. Thanks to my husband, nine-year-old and seven-year-old boys, sis, parents, family, friends, coworkers,... Read more »
By Julia Passamani,
April 23, 2020 at 8:29 pm • 

9yo spring break poem during Covid-19 quarantine

9yo spring break poem during Covid-19 quarantine
T.S. Elliot’s poem The Waste Land described April as the cruelest month, but looked toward the light. This National Poetry Month of April, our hopeful nine-year-old refused to write about a virus. Although we talked about another spring break to Miami, it did not come to fruition. Instead, our sweet boy conjured a spring break... Read more »
By Julia Passamani,
April 4, 2020 at 8:28 pm • 

Ode to COVID-19, Coronavirus!

Ode to COVID-19, Coronavirus!
Life-threatening, enemy of socialization and economic prosperity, COVID-19. You deprive small businesses and short-term markets, you sly, mean virus that force isolation. Loyal investors prove this will pass. We practice social distance. We miss grandparents, extended family, friends, school choir and mass. We work from home as a family in coexistence. We shake off the occasional meltdown... Read more »
By Julia Passamani,
March 20, 2020 at 6:03 pm • 
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The best piano teachers reinforce mindfulness

Our 3rd grader started piano lessons four years ago. His lovely teacher Julia Hardin’s weekly lessons inspire mindfulness and more. She leads with the example of her own perfect posture, engaged attention and body awareness. Remarkable piano teachers help their youth improve executive functioning skills, including working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control, which support mindfulness.... Read more »
By Julia Passamani,
February 21, 2020 at 8:49 am • 

Our family & love this Valentine's Day

The New Testament opines, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always... Read more »
By Julia Passamani,
February 9, 2020 at 11:13 am • 

New Year thoughts this 2020

New Year thoughts this 2020
The words, “Awkward, brave and kind,” that Brené Brown writes we should embrace in 2020, resonate. They evoke inspiration and aspiration to cultivate wellness with healthy habits. We work to live with intention and grace to grow with change.  It feels scary to take positive action. I felt mortified that I finished last among my friends at the... Read more »
By Julia Passamani,
January 12, 2020 at 9:39 am • 
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Sweet moments this holiday season

Sweet moments this holiday season
As Maria Shriver’s weekly newsletter prays, “Dear God, thank you so much for this Christmas season and all it represents. Please let me be present in the moments I have with the people I cherish most. And to be mindful that for many this season is challenging, lonely, and complicated. May I show compassion to all... Read more »
By Julia Passamani,
December 22, 2019 at 3:23 pm •