In “5 Things,” we ask our favorite insiders in cities all over the country to share travel tips on where to eat, shop, stay, and play in their neighborhoods (plus, what to pack to make the adventure complete). This week, sisters Blair and Hayley Griffin share the uniqueness of Portland, Maine.
With family roots dating back four generations just outside Portland, it has been fascinating to explore this little city, uncovering its many activities and adventures for all ages. In this season of life, here are some of our favorite places to go, sights to see, and things to eat!
I was the last daughter born into a gaggle of girls. I never had to consider what life was like with brothers because that was never to be a part of my reality. So it only seems fitting that I ended up with three sons. I still vividly remember a conversation with my husband before our first son was born, fearful that I would be lost, that I would have absolutely no idea how to parent a little boy if we had one.
My initial worry quickly evaporated. Soon I realized, and still adamantly believe, that the children we parent are meant to be with us. I was no longer worried about how to parent a boy, but rather worried about everything else under the sun. (Anyone else check to see if their babies were still breathing about every five minutes for the first few months? Maybe for the first year?)
But what surprised me the most were the responses after each of my boys’ births. I heard everything: people asking if I was going to “keep trying” for a girl every time one one of my boys was born. People inquired if I was sad that I had only boys. People even shared their sadness that I had only boys. I heard frequent mentions about how daughters stay with their mothers and boys only leave, hardly returning to their nuclear families at all.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Here I was with a swaddled, healthy, perfect baby in my arms, and people were sharing their disappointment and head-shaking sadness with me. It made me ache for my boys. It greatly changed how I viewed those people—and our culture.
As we honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. this weekend, (and as some might be preparing to march in womens’ marches around the world), here are some reads I’ve especially appreciated:
On being more than just nice. “The default of the current system is the reproduction of racial inequality. To continue reproducing racial inequality, the system only needs for white people to be really nice and carry on.”
“The Other Talk,” on one woman’s experience being prepared for being black in America.
Finally, if you’re looking for books on social justice to read with children, we came up with this list last year.
