19 Comments
User's avatar
Olivia Murphy's avatar

I’m late to reading this, but I’m so glad I did. Your *words* are magic, friend. And I fully relate to the stress of having to merge while also answering what feels like impossible questions. We all have them, and apparently, they can begin all the way back at 5.

Expand full comment
Krista Drechsel's avatar

Aw thank you Olivia!! Yes, we certainly do ALL have them. More questions than answers over here these days, but I’m leaning into that more I think. ❤️

Expand full comment
molly flinkman's avatar

okay, well, you've done it again <3 I just love your words so much, Krista. This was just beautiful.

Expand full comment
Krista Drechsel's avatar

Thank you Molly! ❤️ Having faithful reader friends is so encouraging.

Expand full comment
Rebecca Marie's avatar

This was beautiful, all of it. You have a gift capturing these tiny moments. And yes, my six year old keeps me on my toes - yelling, "Mum, did God create the devil?" while I am on the toilet.

Expand full comment
Krista Drechsel's avatar

Lolllll always when we’re on the toilet 😅😂🫣

Expand full comment
Berlin's avatar

Ahhh, smacks is such a grandma cereal! This was really beautiful. Welcome to the 30 club.

Expand full comment
Krista Drechsel's avatar

Haha right? It's been years since I've thought of them. Funny how those memories come back when we give them space. Thanks for reading, Berlin.

Expand full comment
Megan Hogg's avatar

This was just beautiful from start to finish ❤️

Expand full comment
Krista Drechsel's avatar

Thank you, Megan!

Expand full comment
Kym VdP's avatar

Wow I love love love this and I wish I had such deep musings when I turned 30 last year but I was pregnancy tired and my brain was mush. Love the way you thought and wrote this all out. I need to find that book!

Expand full comment
Krista Drechsel's avatar

Kym, growing and nourishing a baby over your thirtieth birthday is the ultimate creative act! That takes the cake over writing an essay any day. :) Thanks for cheering me on, friend.

Expand full comment
Kym VdP's avatar

Haha I guess it is! 😅

Expand full comment
Annelise Roberts's avatar

Yes. The conversations we have... If I had a nickel for every time a kid had asked an existential question while sitting on the toilet. I'm getting a lot more comfortable with not knowing the answers, but yeeshhhh.

It's weird -- the jarring experience of sometimes remembering something from the same age that your kids are now. It feels like I get pulled up by the roots and turned upside down, and then I have even more questions than they do.

Expand full comment
Krista Drechsel's avatar

Yes, that's such a perfect way of describing that disorienting feeling. Like, what year is it? How old am I? Here's to all the existential questions—from ourselves, and our children...and hopefully we get asked less and less existential questions while sitting on the toilet or merging onto the freeway as our children grow older lollll.

Expand full comment
Kaitlin Rogers's avatar

Oh, Krista. What a balm of resonance. We are living out that fourth law big time with our almost six-year-old. You captured it perfectly: the music, the merge, the highway, the impossible question. I’m going to order The Magic House, and I’ll think of this piece every time I read it. Also: Why does it take so long for the world to get un-broken? Welcome to your thirties! Keep writing into the magic, the mystery, and the hidden light.

Expand full comment
Krista Drechsel's avatar

Kaitlin, thank you! Yes, there must be something about that 5-6 age range where they're really waking up to the world a bit. It's beautiful and scary and incredible. I feel that with you. (Also, if you do buy the book, I really need to hear your thoughts on the final page's illustration. I'm not going to give it away here, but wowww I have some thoughts and would love to discuss lol).

Expand full comment
Sara Koert's avatar

Welcome to your thirties and to the era of our children asking deep questions…it’s a wild ride ❤️ Beautifully written!

Expand full comment
Krista Drechsel's avatar

Sara, yes! Thank you, friend. I feel like you have been in this stage for a long, long while now and really lean into having those discussions with your boys. It's hard, beautiful work. <3

Expand full comment