Parenting on Purpose

Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina is one of the highest peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountain Range and is famous for the dramatic views from its summit. It also boasts of the famous Mile-High Swinging Bridge, which is 5,280 feet (or one mile) above sea level. Indeed the mountain is an iconic feature of the High Country and over the decades, many travellers have come all the way here to drink in the spectacular sights of the summit. The famous Mile High Swinging Bridge.  Normally boasting of spectacular views all around. The mountain has always featured significantly in our itinerary. But we have not always been sure when to go. When we arrived on Friday, we felt that perhaps it might be tiring to go on Saturday, given that we had just driven a long way from Georgia. Then Sunday came and again we felt that perhaps we should defer our travels to Grandfather for another day, since our young ‘uns (the littler one especially) seemed more tired and needed to rest. So we decided to...

Christmas is a season for love and the family; and often a time of reflection for us. ’Tis the Season for Reflection December is always associated with festivities – with Christmas, celebrations, and the advent of a New Year. For us, the month is also associated with our wedding anniversary, which is just a few days before the end of the year. Every year, we make it a point to go away for our anniversary. This has been the case since we got married 11 years ago. When the kids came, we decided that we would still choose to take a break just to get some respite. Life in Singapore is busy; with kids around, things can get even more hectic. So we have decided that kids or no kids, our anniversary will be a special time away just for us. We tell them that “Daddy and Mummy love you very much. That’s why we’re going away…so that we can learn how to be better parents and to take care of you better!” We are also thankful that our parents can help with the kids while w...

In the words of the Ray Weather Channel, “A front is stalled just to our south, and a moist, southeasterly flow persists across our region… The Blue Ridge will be soaked in fog.” Indeed. We woke this morning to see the mist descend from the mountains and envelope us like a glove, bringing with it sudden cool weather on this third day of autumn. This meant us having to improvise again, abandoning our original intentions to head to the Moses Cone Memorial Park for a walk along one of its carriage trails. If there’s one thing we’ve learnt on this trip, it’s to let go of our expectations and see where things take us. True enough, a pleasant surprise awaited us at the Blowing Rock instead. We decided to go ahead and pay the entrance fees despite the overhanging fog. We were told, we would be able to see the rock, but not the view. Known for being North Carolina’s Oldest Travel Attraction, the legend of Blowing Rock goes way back before its establishment in 1933, almost 250 milli...