Friday Favorites - The Inaugural Edition

Welcome to Different Than Average's very first and fabulous Friday Favorites. (I absolutely adore alliteration!... actually I haven't finished my coffee yet, so I'm compensating by being annoyingly perky. It's my grumpy morning method of being slightly passive aggressive.)

Here are the things I've tripped over online this week that I think are worth your time. I know that your time is precious. Now you don't have to sift through all the meaningless garbage and stupid cat memes to get to the good stuff. You're welcome.

The Grief In Growing Up. On this Huffington Post feature, Catharine Naja poignantly expresses the simultaneous pain and pride that comes with parenting growing children. I needed a tissue (but I am admittedly suffering from seasonal allergies).

I Went Paleo And Now I Hate Everything. I needed a tissue for this one, not because I'm sentimental, but because Gerladine DeRuiter is freakin' hilarious. She even includes a recipe for Carrot Cake Cookies (AKA Pucks of Suffering) that you absolutely do NOT want to make even though they are flavored with the salt of your own tears. We went Paleo a few years ago, and I can relate to so very much of this.

An African American Woman Reflects on the Transgender Movement. Nuriddeen Knight presents some interesting points to ponder. This article dredged up a few painful memories from my own childhood - being judged and ranked based on a predetermined set of rather arbitrary social criteria - and falling short in parental eyes as well as the culture at large. Worth a read no matter your stance on transgender issues.

Playing With Legos Is More Valuable Than Learning Algebra. Isaac Morehouse recounts his numerous Lego creations and the real and valuable life skills they helped him develop. The point isn't that learning Algebra is a waste of time, but that kids learning and doing things of their own choosing, in their own way and in their own time, can be more valuable than we might imagine. It kinda makes all of those late night barefooted escapades through my children's Lego minefields seem almost worth it.