The Mergenthaler Family

Dear Children, It’s my day to write, and I’m short on time and inspiration. So instead of trying to articulate my deep thoughts and feelings, I will share some memories of when you were little. There are a few lines about each of you. You might be able to guess who I’m referring to with each individual memory, but some of the memories fit more than one of you. Have fun walking down memory lane with your siblings. When you were little, you would spend your afternoon quiet time crafting. You used all kinds of materials to make cards and posters, build robots, make flower gardens, draw family portraits, and color and paint elaborate mazes. You still spend quiet time crafting when you can. You have sewn yourself a summer wardrobe that’s as cute as you are. When you were little, you learned skills like whistling, skipping, and tying your shoes quickly. It seemed like there was nothing you couldn’t figure out, and mostly, you weren’t afraid to try. These days, you’re often trying new recipes...

As we approach the end of February, the Pennsylvania winter is going strong. Here's a quick picture-filled review of the last couple of months. Christmas was busy and fun. We missed Ricky, who was busy working some overtime as a CNA in the psych clinic to save some money for an engagement ring and other future plans. On Christmas Eve, Karitza gifted our family a delivery of Chinese food from a local restaurant to be consumed with The Christmas Story playing in the background. After dinner, we got on our matching Christmas pajamas and watched Surf's Up. I think we might make it a Christmas Season movie in the future. I forgot how funny it is. We acted out the nativity. One day, our family will experience this tradition without sarcasm or shenanigans. Hudson is everybody's favorite. I spent a lot of time monitoring whose turn it was to hold, play, or feed him. Of course, I am his favorite. (I am not even making that up!) Christmas dinner was delicious, thanks to everybody...

 https://open.substack.com/pub/lettersfromthenest/p/striving?r=48qui&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Striving - The act or practice of trying hard to do, reach, or achieve something; vigorous effort. Striving is an innate quality that, at its most basic, keeps you alive. As you develop, learn more about the world around you, and gain skills beyond pure reflex, your striving develops to accommodate a sense of purpose and fulfillment beyond survival. This vigorous effort is driven by two questions: What do you need/want? How will you get it? Striving seems to be closely connected to a sense of agency. You won’t believe the rabbit hole I fell into this morning researching how scientists define a sense of agency. If you want to nerd out, there’s this article:  https://academic.oup.com/nc/article/2020/1/niaa019/5890345 . For this letter, let’s say that when a person believes their actions will have the intended consequence, they’re more likely to act. If it’s not obvious t...

 Letters from the Nest https://open.substack.com/pub/lettersfromthenest/p/jack-of-all-trades?r=48qui&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web There are a few people in my life who seem to excel in nearly any activity they pursue. They’re able to discourse on a variety of subjects, repair appliances, schedule and keep appointments, write sonnets, balance budgets, play instruments, speak languages, construct cabinetry, plumb pipes, and navigate without GPS. You get the gist. Do you know people like that? Your Grandpa was like that--at least when it came to anything in the science or engineering categories. He was both curious and independent and found satisfaction in planning and executing projects that improved life for his family. He was what some would call a Jack of all Trades. Do you know this descriptive phrase--Jack of all trades? Scholars think it originated in 16th-century England and was intended as a complimentary term for someone skilled in many crafts. After some time, h...

 Letters from the Nest https://open.substack.com/pub/lettersfromthenest/p/how-do-you-get-out-of-bed-in-the?r=48qui&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web How do you get yourself out of bed in the morning? Most of you would answer, You do it. That’s all. You get out of bed. It doesn’t seem like it should be a question. For others, it IS a question, and one that you must address at least once a day. This is how I do it. I start with some validating self-talk. “It’s morning. So many opportunities! You got this!” You know, things like that. Sometimes I wake up with song lyrics in my head, and I sing those: “I believe I can fly.” (Space Jam, anyone?) My validating phrases and songs are usually out loud, but they can stay in my head when my energy is especially low or when your dad is still sleeping. The motivational monologue continues as I roll to the side, shift my legs off the bed, let gravity pull me into a slide until my feet hit the floor, and I make my legs rigid enough to stan...

'Tis the season for family togetherness, and boy, do I love my family even though sometimes they're a lot and sometimes I'm a lot. Our trip to Arizona for the week of Thanksgiving was much anticipated (and dreaded by some). Overall, it turned out to be a decent trip with some lovely bonuses. We travelled to Washington DC Sunday night in order to catch an earlyish direct flight to Phoenix Monday morning. Unfortunately, Gavin and Rick were just recovering from colds, and the airplane pressure exacerbated Gavin's brewing ear infections. We got him an appointment at a (not-so) quick-care clinic, and after some shenanigans with pharmacy stuff and insurance, he had some antibiotics to treat a double ear infection. Gavin's ear pain did not prevent him from getting in the pool at the house we rented. The kids and Uncle Danny played in the water the first day, but after that first exposure, they didn't feel the need to make swimming a daily occurance. The rest of us pref...

Also at Letters from the Nest: https://open.substack.com/pub/lettersfromthenest/p/crying-over-laundry?r=48qui&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Dear Children, One evening a few weeks ago, we invited two young women into our home to meet our family. They were full-time missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and had been recently reassigned to be the first female missionaries to serve in our congregation for many years. I am always impressed with young full-time missionaries. Their goodness and honesty through struggles is inspiring. They are doing difficult work under difficult circumstances. These two young women were telling us about their awful first Preparation Day (P-Day) in the area. P-Days, for missionaries, are meant to be the one day each week, as a “day off’ from full-time proselyting to buy groceries, wash clothes, participate in wholesome recreational activities, and call their families. P-Days are a break in the daily grind that can s...