While I see the superficial clouding the lives of some I know I just have to cling to the simple things. Like cookies!
I laughed this past week as a theme seemed to be shouting at me. Others thinking that I must have easy children… if you have baby sat for me, or are close to our family, you know that is not the case. They also seem to think homeschooling is easy for us and that I have a lot of patience. Goddess this makes me giggle. They clearly have not seen the forever laundry mountain I have or my floors. Not to mention how much help my husband is. I will admit, things have been harder…. I gave birth in my kitchen with my husband in Iraq after all. But homeschooling alone has been just a journey trying to find what works for us and what just doesn’t. These people where not here for our unschooling years where strangers would tell us to get out daughter on medication! She was just so wild. Add to all this the mommy guilt, of not being unschooler enough or not being this or that. It took a while to get here and still some things are not perfect, not simple, and not clean. The kids still get wild. But now I have some tricks… like getting them to make cookies, to help pick up. Now I see when they need to go play outside or when they need to settle down for a long story or when singing rather than getting upset will make everything better.
It is the little things.
The people who inspire! Though I am not much one to follow, I have to admit I need to see others doing something for it to all click. Amazing mothers and home makers with names like Carie, Sylvie, Kelly, Ann, Kristen, Janice, Amissa, Melissa, Theresa, Alisha, Joy, Cindy, Becky, Aimee, Jessica, Anna, Amy, and so many others I could go on and on who when I badly need it and do not even know it, inspire. Some keep me on my toes. Some are so trusted they have seen my very worst moments and still had faith.
So for me, it is not about how many shoes you have, the brand, or the job you do to pay for them. It is about things that are deeper. It is about your tears and your smile and what you do on those hard days and what you give to the word when you thought you had nothing to share.
Some days are simply about cookies.
Gratitude Deep
