Thursday, July 7, 2011

the task at hand


To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. ~e.e. cummings, 1955





This weekend I was reminded just how much slowing down and living for today is vital to our existence.

There will always be something to worry about tomorrow.

Something,
someday,
that may or may not happen
that could steal our sleep tonight,
but in the end it will matter more what we did today
than what we worry about tomorrow.

It is so easy to get sucked into a trap that diverts your time and energy away from what matters most.
It is so easy to worry about the things that matter the least.
It takes a constant effort to not be eaten alive by the "should have's"

A good friend reminded me of that again today.
I owe it to my children to continue growing.
Growing as a person
Growing as a mother.
I am not perfect.
I never will be.
Sometimes my parenting is an epic fail,
but that is not what matters.
What matters is that I get up and try it again.
Vowing to do better.
Vowing to grow
Not just for them
but for myself

and it has taken me awhile to come to the realization that is the greatest gift I can give them
because they too will never be perfect.
And if I can teach them to strive for growth
instead of this illusive unobtainable perfection
what an impact it will have on their future lives.
If I can do that,
I have done my ultimate job in this world.

What a large task to be placed in our hands the day we become parents to innocent souls.


2 comments:

Kim said...

love Kadences singing!!!!!

The Preister's said...

adorable...all of it! At the end of the day we want to raise our kids so that when they are in the situations we are in (over extending ourselves, stressed with life, work, kids, friends, etc) they can handle it better than we do! We want to give them the tools to be all that we are PLUS! YOU, my friend, are doing that...without - a - doubt.