By nature, I’m not a very content person. It’s always been a battle for me. I’ve struggled with being content with the blessings I’ve been given throughout my life. I remember on Christmas Day, 30 years ago, I received every toy imaginable (at least it seemed that way). But, by the end of the day, I wanted what I did not receive under the tree. I must have driven my mom and dad crazy!
The foster care journey is filled with unbelievable frustration and pain, but also much joy and optimism. It’s not for everyone, and it’s certainly not for the faint of heart, but it is a journey that will teach you a lot about yourself and the many people you come into contact with.
This is a guest post by Caitlin Morgan, a fairly new mom (her daughter was born this past March), and the small groups coordinator at East 91st Street Christian Church. I love her posts because she has a very funny perspective and sense of humor. She’s also a creative writer, graphic designer, and photographer in her free time. You can follow her on Twitter and check out her personal blog.
There’s a difference between stressing your children out and intentionally allowing them to live in the tension of life circumstances. I am discovering this every single day that I am a parent.
Parents, your words have more power than you can imagine. Your children, and mine, will grow up believing the words they hear us speak to them. Obviously this could go either way: positive words build up, negative words tear down. We hold their tiny hearts in our hands like a fragile work of art. It’s up to us to be cautious with our actions, but also our words!
“I don’t get my kid anymore. They’re not that little girl or boy I used to know. Now that they’re a teenager, they’ve changed!”
Back in November, when Confessions Of A Parent was just a spunky 2 months old, I wrote a post entitled A Few Of My Favorite Things. In the post, I listed off some of the totally awesome (eh hem) things we parents have to go through on a weekly (if not daily) basis. After several months of collecting some additional relics, I present to you, a few more of my favorite things in parenthood…
We have been adoptive parents for 13 years now, and I can honestly say that it has been the greatest journey of our life. We continually reminisce back to our college days, before we were married, and agree that there’s no way we could have scripted our life any better. I say that in-spite of many difficult days and seasons. However, we have learned what sacrificial love looks like, how much we still have to learn as parents, and the unique beauty that comes from building a family through adoption.
Forget reality television! If you’ve spent any time hanging around the parent drop-off line at your local elementary school lately, that’s all the entertainment you need. At least it is in ours. There’s so much to see, laugh at, and tweet about.
Parents, lets be honest: sometimes, it’s just fun to do things that drive your child, especially if they’re a pre-teen, up the wall. In a good way, of course (We don’t want to see any kid in long-term therapy! :-)).
