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Monika Sengul-Jones

Monika Sengul-Jones | Writer

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Here’s a cliche about a mother. She says: Children, you are the wind beneath my wings. And the spaces between my paragraphs. And my long page breaks. She bends. Here is a story problem: how many dishwasher cycles after bedtime does she need to work to fill in the blanks and turn them into books? If the dishes are left undone, what is her rate of ambition if she falls asleep by you, limbs curled together, peaceful when your exhales match hers? For how many years will the floor beneath her feet feel sticky? There’s no right answer. But what is a cliche but a familiar story? Perhaps that alone is reassuring. Art by H—age seven

I didn't want to crop out the blush of N's finger in the corner. Photos taken pre-iPhone are something special (which isn't to say I don't put my finger over the iPhone lens ever). Other notes: I was pregnant in the photo. I liked that hat and I've since lost that hat. It was nearly 100 degrees, I am drinking something hot. I didn't stay long on the patio. But I am dreaming of traveling to sunny, warm places. #flashback #joshuatree #harmonymotel #29palms #preiphone #readwomen #divineinmyeveryday #divinityandme #travelwriting #nostalgia

Something about this cold weather, something about Silent Spring, something about the difficulty of running, something about the joy of tulips, something about crying when my daughter cries, something about acts of care. A clean sink. You remembered me. A heart. A love note. I’m feeling these days. It is good to feel in the spring. #pnw #running #earthday #divinityandme #springflowers #instagramstories #womenwriters #readwomen

He doesn’t look like this any longer, except that winning smile. My smart phone, to which I often feel I’m just a reluctant companion, has started showing me these ‘memories.’ And so I’ve become one of those people who, after the children are asleep, stays up looking at old photos. It feels so easy to indulge in the dreamy world of the image. It’s quiet. I feel in control. And I’m a pushover for the pleasures of nostalgia. Is there a name for this? Is there a name for being a reluctant companion to your phone??

The clouds! Also, it snowed today. 🙄 #April #seattle #pnw #divineinmyeveryday #clouds #skyline

My days are quotidian. Day job. Family life. Domestic chores. #barre classes. Early morning writing groups. Weekends in the mountains. To counter my flurry of #awpfashionfeed #awp conference photos, here’s a snapshot of my #workfromhomefashion. I appreciate the unusual and the community that comes from a packed schedule. When I’m out, I’m often mistaken for a raging extrovert, but I cherish my time alone. I think there should be a category of #extrovertedintrovert (maybe there is?). Thank goodness for ordinary days. #writinglife #divineinmyeveryday

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