Five Things - April 1, 2025

Welcome to my blog titled ‘Five Things’ where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. I’ll also share a quote I find meaningful as a point of focus for the week. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things, starting with the quote of the week…

1. "I've been fascinated by the idea that evil is the absence of empathy." - John Connolly

2. It’s our last month in the desert! The winter flew by, and we are ready to hit the road again. I’m really excited about our itinerary, which includes checking off the last four states in the lower forty-eight (the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Idaho) in order to fill out our map, another trip to Utah for more National Park fun, a stay in Gunnison, Colorado during my residency, a trip to Chicago for Chicago Fan Expo, and more. I’ll start taking photos again, so be sure to check out my Instagram page!

3. This week, I have to submit my thesis proposal for the MFA program. Next year, most of my work will be focused on completing this project to earn my degree. Conveniently, our thesis is a full-length novel, and I’ll have a personal mentor assigned to me. If you read my alter ego’s blog last week, I discuss the fact that I have four novels about halfway complete. I’m generally a work-on-one-thing-at-a-time kind of writer, but being in school has been disruptive, in a good way! You can read more about why I think this year is an anomaly, and what I’m currently working on HERE. Regardless, in a couple of weeks, my mentor and I will have chosen a project. It may be one of the books already underway, or something entirely new. I’ll let you know!

4. Our oldest son had his birthday last weekend. Nick truly embodies the ‘oldest child’ persona in all the best ways. He’s responsible, accountable, sensitive, and genuine. We’ve watched him navigate his young adulthood with an open heart, a willingness to grow, and deep compassion and empathy for others. He is earnest, hard-working, loyal, and kind, and he is the person you’d want in your corner if you needed a friend. Happy birthday, Nick. We are so proud of you!

5. I had a great time visiting my sister and brother-in-law last week. My trip coincided with Persian New Year, Nowruz, and I was so excited to celebrate with them. Held on the vernal equinox, the holiday is meaningful and well-timed, and wow, the food is amazing! Happy New Year and Welcome Spring!

Monday Musings 3-21-22

Tomorrow is my youngest child’s 18th birthday. While I’ve said to all the kids many times that a number is just a number, and becoming an adult is a process, this particular date feels momentous nonetheless. Having had my first child at 21, a healthy chunk of my own adult life has been spent actively parenting. It’s been mostly a joy, sometimes a challenge, but always rewarding. Watching our kids discover their talents, become passionate about issues, develop meaningful relationships, and engage with the world is a pleasure.

As they move out of childhood and into the next phase of their lives, I have only a few things I wish for them.

First, I hope they enjoy loving, healthy relationships. I’ve given out dating advice over the years, which I think they’ve found valuable, and my two older boys are well on their way in this area. You can read my words of wisdom on this particular topic on my alter ego’s blog Dear Maggie.

Second, that they surround themselves with a supportive community. Friends hold us up during the rough patches and celebrate with us during the good times. Healthy friendships nourish the soul, and I am certainly grateful for mine.

Finally, I hope they find meaningful work. Work is work, even when it’s something we love, so we’ve encouraged them to choose a career that will hold their interest over time, and one in a field that plays to their talents and skills. I had a college professor who once suggested that we students should do what we love, for sure, but we should also do something we’re good at. I remember being slightly put off by this advice at first because it felt limiting, but it’s actually really wise. I love astronomy and I’ve seriously considered getting an advanced degree in physics, but I will never be that good in the hard sciences. It would always be a struggle, and in the end, I don’t think I’d be able to achieve as much as I’d like in the field. That kind of self-awareness can serve us well.

As parents, we can’t save our kids from all the hardships and challenges they’ll face on their life’s journey. We can only hope we’ve given them useful tools and good advice to navigate their own way. As our last child steps into adulthood, I feel a deep sense of satisfaction that she, like her brothers, is a kind, compassionate, accountable human being whose light shines brightly in the world.

Happy birthday, Kyra. It is an honor and joy to be your mom.

Monday Musings 2-1-21

Today is my second son’s 23rd birthday. He is across the continent celebrating with his lovely girlfriend. We haven’t seen him in person in over a year, and that’s hard, but he is where he should be, doing what he should be doing. The pandemic has set his career plans back a bit, but I have no doubt he’ll be just fine when the world opens up again.

On each of the kids’ birthdays, I like to pull out their special baby photo albums and reminisce. Ray and I marveled after the birth of each one that, while they may have the same parents, they are so very unique. It’s been a wonder to watch them grow into adulthood.

Child number two is a writer. He’s the one whose opinion I seek when I’ve finished a new manuscript. His talent at identifying the plot hole, or character deficiency, or finding a simple solution to a tangle, makes him my go-to guy when I’m stuck in my own writing. With his mellow personality, you’d never suspect that he also brings down the house with his stand-up comedy routines. I think because he is an keen observer of people as well as an amazing storyteller, he resonates well with an audience. His creativity is boundless, and even as a child, his keen intelligence was obvious. As he grew into adulthood, his good humor, steady personality, and kindness matured along with him.

As with all my kids, I am proud they are following their dreams and doing amazing things, but mostly I am so proud of the people they are - compassionate, thoughtful, responsible. As different as they are from each other, they all share these qualities. Happy birthday, Noah! We love and miss you.

In other news….

Save the date! I’ll be presenting at Boskone this year, February 12-14, 2021. Join me online for this fantastic science fiction and fantasy convention. It's going to be a great weekend filled with discussions of books, science, art, games, music, and more. Visit the Boskone website: http://www.boskone.org/ to register.