Lifeworld April 2022

Lifeworld

I’m currently pursuing a PhD. One of the most enjoyable aspects of this endeavor has been my dive into the world of qualitative research. I am the child of a former journalist and often accompanied my mother to work. I’m also a healthcare provider (I’m a pediatric physical therapist if you’re new here). Because of these experiences, the art of the interview is one that feels near and dear to my heart. Introverts like myself prefer in-depth, one-on-one interactions, and I find listening to people’s experiences and analyzing their words so enjoyable. Participating in this kind of research is a place where I enter the flow state…a precious commodity as the parent of young children.

This semester I have been learning more about phenomenological research, a type of qualitative research, and came across the concept of the lifeworld, defined below. The idea of understanding the lived experience of an individual—truly understanding the time, place, circumstances, and experiences (in short, the world in which they live)—is such a great concept. This learning, in turn, sparked a little idea to capture my own lifeworld: the moment-to-moment “phenomenon” of being a working mother of young children…all the beauty, all the mess, all the things. Below is my lifeworld from April 2022. The first of many? We shall see what tomorrow brings.

“Lifeworld - German Lebenswelt, in Phenomenology, the world as immediately or directly experienced in the subjectivity of everyday life,”

— Brittanica.com

Folding Laundry

Mostly I feel neutral about folding laundry. I don’t especially mind it, nor do I wax poetical about it. But every so often, I am hit with nostalgia as my hands run over their small things. I am startled awake from the automatic and unconscious to the knowledge that one day they will be big, one day they will live far away, but in this moment, they are here, they are small, and we are so close that I fold the garments of their little bodies. This dress is a favorite of my daughter’s and one that, when she outgrows it, I will save because it reminds me so much of her.

Addiction

This is only one of my stacks of books. I should not be allowed in libraries because I have a problem!

Chairs Alone

We got away to the beach. It was a wonderful trip, and this view is beautiful, no? Off to the left, my kids are playing hysterically in the waves. Funnily, my husband and I had just had our one and only fight of the vacation (of the season, probably) and I was actually feeling blue. But that’s part of the lifeworld: The good and the bad—or like here, the good and the bad mixed together.

Cocoa and Teddy Bunny

As I was walking my daughter to the bus stop, she told me I was going to need to babysit these guys until she got home from school. Since this is an honor I hope to have when/if there are real grandchildren one day, I told her: “No problem” :)

The Ickabog

Our morning bus stop reading. It took us months but we finally finished. J.K. Rowling has become something of a controversial figure, which I find unfortunate because I think she’s a phenomenal writer.

A Moment

A bouquet wangled from our rather unproductive yard, a cup of coffee, and a good book . = MOM BLISS

Rainy morning at the bus stop

…so we’re waiting in the car

This room was clean an hour ago

What it’s really like to have small children. I am a force of order in a world of chaos. They’re winning.

Master Relaxer

This girl has it all figured out.

Love looks like

Pardon me while I gush but could you imagine a sweeter face? Gray hairs are popping into her beard and the years are accruing. She won’t be with us forever but our relationship has deepened so much since being homebound in the pandemic. It’s weird to feel this way about a dog, but I’m so glad she came into my life. Her love is unconditional, and that is a rare and precious experience in life.

Learning to read

I’m working on reading with my son. We’re getting there…slowly…but…surely

Shells at the beach

Love Letters

Our kids leave us all kinds of notes, drawings, and cards. This is a beautiful one from my daughter, next to a flower she brought me. This stuff is mom gold.

Bliss, I say

I love P.D. James. I love reading mysteries, but James is so much more than just a mystery writer. Like Agatha Christie—and perhaps even more so—she captures life. I also always learn new words when I read her books. I’m reading a nonfiction book by her right now too, and it’s just as engaging as her fiction.

Working Mom

I feel like this picture captures the experience of being a working (or studying) mom with young children. Textbooks? Check. Laptop? Check. Hour-by-hour planner? Check. Coffee? Are you kidding…check. Dinosaur and microscope? Um, check.