A Permission Slip for the Middle of Winter

To Whom It May Concern:

Please be informed that [your name here] is a mother of child[ren] in the dead of winter. She has the following permissions:

1. Permission to skip the workout in favor of a snowy walk around the neighborhood, with or without the kids.
2. Permission to make that same soup recipe one more time without hearing any whining (we hope).
3. Permission to declare a Pajama Day, featuring schoolwork shoved to the side in favor of read-alouds of favorite books and ample partaking of hot beverages.
4. Permission to let a plant or two die. At least the humans are surviving.
5. Permission to obsess over the birdfeeders and their occupants.
6. Permission to still be finding needles from the Christmas tree in the crevices of the home. It was only a month ago that we stacked up the wrapping paper, after all.
7. Permission to make another pot of coffee.
8. Permission to take another look at the seed catalog.
9. Permission to yell at the squirrels stalking the birdfeeders.
10. Permission to rewatch the comfort movie of her choosing, even if it is a Christmas title.
11. Permission to put on another pair of socks.
12. Permission to take another hot bath.
13. Permission to buy more Chapstick because everyone lost theirs.
14. Permission to not figure that thing out today.
15. Permission to scream in excitement at the first sight of green daffodil sprouts.
16. Permission to stay under that blanket for one more minute.
17. Permission to conquer the independent streak by asking for help.
18. Permission to pull up her boots, button up her coat, pull down her hat, and go outside to let the winter sun shine right on her face.

The above essay was originally published in the Story Warren Weekly newsletter. If you’re not subscribed, you can do so right here. You’ll get a free gift just for signing up!

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Kelly Keller

Kelly Keller is the managing editor of Story Warren. She has her BS in Elementary Education from Messiah University and has taught various ages, but her favorite was worldview and literature with high school students. The “gap” in her resume is actually a window of eighteen years of homeschooling, which she recommends as an effective, though demanding, way of expanding one’s home library.

When she’s not behind her laptop, Kelly enjoys live music, baseball, reading great books, and traveling with her husband, David. Kelly hails from beautiful snowy New England, but after nearly two decades in North Carolina, she feels right at home.

She invites you to subscribe to her newsletter, On the Common, or to follow her on Twitter or Instagram.

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