What is the most unexpectedly beautiful thing about motherhood for you? The most shockingly difficult?
The kindness I receive from my daughter. Navigating the unbound emotional landscape of a little one.
You and Heidi used to work and travel the world together. She has said you have the best "outlook on life" of anyone she knows. If you had to define or describe your point of view, how would you?
Life is constantly throwing us curveballs, and I'm determined to face them with a smile and a lot of laughs. Working on the thing that I love has been great, and keeping things light and enjoyable for those around me is a purpose I hold dear.
Since becoming a mother, my outlook on life has remained the same, but my perspective and joy in the world that surrounds me has grown. The conversations that I have with my daughter as I'm putting her to bed every evening gives me that "dawn of the morning" feeling of freshness and opportunity.
The past year—in work, in parenting, and in life—has highlighted some central themes of mothering: the requirements of strength and need for flexibility. How have you managed the tension between toughness (fortitude) and gentleness (resilience)?
Edibles. Wine. Microdosing. I joke. The reality is that motherhood in any circumstance is never short of that tension. From breakfast to bedtime, I have to straddle the line of a firm parent and loving mama bear. I'm getting better at setting the boundaries that give me the mental space to manage the tension.