For Your Soul
Contradictions
I was raised on Star Wars, Narnia, and Middle Earth,
But not Hogwarts, because that was witchcraft.
Jurassic Park was perfectly fine, just wrong about dinosaur timelines.
Fencing and archery were encouraged hobbies,
But video games would rot your brain.
Was handed L’Engle by my mother, who now denies she ever liked her.
Watched adventures in Space and tomb raiders race
But never had sex explained.
Morals as taught by allegorical proxy were superior than those garden veggies.
Some witches were good, others never could
receive any kind of redemption.
Now I read what I want, and I watch what I like
and I know there are contradictions.
So rather than say this is good or it’s bad,
I look for what gives me compassion,
for a view of the world that is different from mine
and to experience joy and connection.
~Caitlin Mallery
For Your Eyes
Christian Science Fiction?! I recently found a sci-fi series at the library that I am enjoying. When I went to mark it off on my Goodreads account I was startled by the label of Christian science fiction. I am not accustomed to seeing those two things paired together, and if I had seen that label before reading it I most likely would have dismissed it. Too many “Christan” -insert fiction genre here- books suffer from overselling a specific message.
Thankfully I did not know that label going into it and therefore could enjoy the books, the worldbuilding, the sci-fi elements, and recognize the very subtle nods to the Christian faith. It is good writing, and a good story, with plenty of character development and sci-fi elements.
For Your Ears
Music that subverts expectations is a fun way to keep people on their toes, like how the Bridgerton show is full of pop songs in classical stylings.
For Your Taste Buds
One of the best ways to engage my kids in cooking is to give them themed cookbooks. We have Disney, Star Wars, Super Mario, Harry Potter, and Little Women on our shelves. Whenever we have finished a Harry Potter book, we plan a movie-watching party with themed treats.
For Your Nose
If stars had a scent, what would it be?
For Your Body
As much as I adore the freckles reappearing in the spring sunshine, I am super quick to chase my fair-skinned sunburn-prone children down with the SPF when they head outside. A tinted sunscreen and mascara might be the most makeup I apply and reapply all day long.
The stars would smell like a rusty iron pipe after being sandpapered..
Love the poem, Caitlin.