Professional Reflective Mothering

I'm sure everyone and her dog watches Julie and Julia and then starts a blog. Am I different because I paused the movie to start mine?

When I was a teacher, I participated in a group called "Professional Reflective Journaling." We middle school teachers got together monthly and spent some time responding to a journal prompt. Then we'd do a "journal pass" (highlight a section we were ok with everyone reading), and we'd feel like we'd vented some intimate secrets and life dreams. The whole thing took about an hour, and we left feeling recharged and ready to be better teachers and better human beings.

A few months ago--yes, I'd just had my third baby and hadn't been working full-time for over 4 years--I started reminiscing about that group. I wondered if those of us who'd entered the profession of mothering could benefit from a group like this. I prayed about getting a group together, but I haven't done it. I've had a few other dreams since then, and I haven't done anything about any of them either.

I could relate to Julie Powell's comment in the movie about needing a deadline (just getting around to seeing it on Netflix though it's been out for a while. I read My Life in France for book club, but haven't seen current movies much. My third little dream boat is 5-months-old). She said she couldn't finish anything, and I can relate. I have some fabulous ideas, but do I accomplish them? I felt comforted when she attributed this to ADD and said that's why she couldn't keep a clean house.

All this to say, is anyone else feeling this way? I am hoping that some people might be interested in participating in a group of Professional Reflective Mothering. Why don't we take a few minutes to respond to a prompt? Feel like we've been heard? Feel like we've accomplished something (even if it's only a sentence or a load of laundry)?