I truly believe that people come into our lives for different reasons. I also think that we are faced with challenges to learn our life lessons. I met a very special woman recently who was generous enough to share her wisdom with me. She inspired me, made me think, and helped me grow.
I have been struggling with some family issues lately, the details of which are not important. What I have realized is what I want to share with you. I have been so caught up in my own exhaustion, that I’ve been counting the hours of sleep I’m getting, stressing about the hours I am missing. I have been so frustrated by the sibling rivalry in my home that I have forgotten the many gestures of love my kids share. David and I have been going through the usual marital ups and downs, but I have spent more time focusing on the negative than the positive. LAME! I totally know better. It’s so easy to get sucked into all the draining aspects of life and to lose focus on all of the blessings. My friend reminded me to wake up in the morning appreciating life, instead of worrying and focusing on the stressful parts. I was sent a great quote the other day and I have been chanting it ever since!
“You are amazing, life is F’d up…don’t get confused.” (Thanks Tamara)
I know the roller coaster too well. Jeez, I wrote a book about dancing gracefully through the chaos, but even I lose my way and forget to walk the talk sometimes.
I know that if you want happiness, you have to be happy. If you want your children to be 
happy, you have to show them happiness. If you want your children to get along, there must be harmony in your home. I have always been the mom who lets my children fly their own personality flag, BUT I realized this week that I have been asking and hoping for more than I am giving. Seriously, we all have to give what we want to receive in life. It sounds so corny, but it’s true. I know many of these life mantras, and yet I still lose my way.
As mothers, we have to be the person we are hoping to raise. We also have to know when to back off and let our children develop their own characteristics. I am talking about the important stuff: Love, respect, loyalty, consideration, compassion, patience. It’s so easy to get caught up in our own life’s stress and not lead by example. My daughter put me in my place recently with her brutal honesty and innocent observations of how I have been dealing with my own stress. Can you imagine how often we think we are actually hiding behind our mommy poker faces? Trust me, our kids play the game much better than we do.
My point is that there is beauty everywhere; you just have to see it.
