Words...

“You’ll never guess what your child did today” was NOT a positive phrase that was conveyed to me as my preschooler attended classes.  In fact, those dreaded words took on life as a sword that would cut down to the depth of my already severed soul.  While other mothers received words of affirmation and praise, the words spoken to me caused me to doubt and question myself and my child.  Oh to be a young mother, unsure in your ways and then seemingly scorned by those around you.  The sickness in my heart robbed me of so much joy.  Did I need to be concerned about my child?  Absolutely.  Did I need to let it dictate my attitude towards my child and be consumed by the worry that always followed?  No, I shouldn’t have allowed it to swallow me up.   Learning to let go of the negative and look for opportunities to create positive enjoyable moments is something that has to be intentional.  It’s an exercise that takes practice when you find yourself with a child that can’t be squeezed into society’s PerfectBox.  So practice today the exercise of letting go of the negative and creating the positive.  Remember it does take practice!  And here are some words to hold onto as you get started “You are a GREAT MOM and you have a GREAT CHILD!”

Let Your Light Shine

If knowledge is power, then why am I afraid of knowing?   Fear is like dark shadows that linger behind doors and can creep into our lives when we are observing our children’s challenges.  Sometimes by “not knowing,” it gives us a false sense of security that just maybe, a challenge doesn’t really exist.  Such were the feelings of my friend this weekend when she expressed a mix bag of emotions.  On one hand having her child evaluated brought some sense of relief that some of the issues that she had observed were not her imagination.  On the other hand, to have a professional identify some potential challenges brought fear and anxiety to her heart.  The dark shadows of fear can only be expelled by the light of knowledge.  Realizing that a challenge may be ahead empowers us to take control of possible early interventions that can keep the challenges from growing into uglier future situations.  It also gives us opportunity to bathe our child in prayer with more specific detail.  We as parents must lay aside possible personal fears and tackle head on issues with our children.  After all, it’s really their welfare that’s of utmost importance and our feelings can be dealt with later, not delaying the best possible care for our children.  So let your light shine… on your child!

The Eyes have It!

Watching life through another mother's eyes can lead to distorted vision!  I look through one friend's eyes and she is so proud of the athletic achievements accomplished by her son.  I look through another friend's eyes and bragging is oozing from her lips about her overachiever daughter whose grades are next to perfect.  And then, I look through my own eyes and I don't see anything worth being proud about..at first.  My eyes are blurry, my vision distorted.  I need to focus in on my world, however imperfect it is and it is.  There are things that I am proud of howbeit ever so small.  In my world, baby steps forward at any age is great reason for celebration.  My baby steps would go unnoticed by most moms; they are normal expectations that happen without thinking but in my world these small steps make this mom celebrate and PROUD.  So I am proud of small things like dishes off the counter and into the sink (we haven't accomplished dishwasher yet), a towel hung in the right place, laundry that ends up in the basket (sometimes) and shoes off before hitting the carpet.  Not very exciting I know, no homeruns, no awards banquet, no academic scholarships.  Being in my world means that sometimes the baby steps are only celebrated by me and God because no one else would care or understand.  When I look through my own eyes and gaze, I am proud.