mother's day
We've been doing a lot of reading on childrearing in the past year or so. The consensus is that kids are resilient: if you provide them with food and shelter and safety, and are non-abusive, they're going to be who they're going to be regardless of what wonderful thing you do or what horrible mistake you make.
That's encouraging. But there's a truth beyond that. Those of us who regard scriptures as significant read words like "train up a child in the way of righteousness, and when he is old he will not depart from it;" and "in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
The fact is that you're responsible for your own life. But the other fact is that your are given a script, good or bad, that you have to examine and then rewrite for yourself. How fortunate I am that my parents gave me such a good script. It makes my path straighter. There are mistakes I didn't have to make, good things I didn't have to be convinced of or find the hard way.
I'm grateful to my mother for the million tiny things I'm noticing and remembering about her, puzzle pieces I'm putting together every day as I raise Greta and as I watch Catherine be a mother to her. I'm grateful also for the million tiny things I'll never know about. Because the fact is that there are no tiny things.
So, to my mother and to the mother of my child, happy Mother's Day.
That's encouraging. But there's a truth beyond that. Those of us who regard scriptures as significant read words like "train up a child in the way of righteousness, and when he is old he will not depart from it;" and "in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
The fact is that you're responsible for your own life. But the other fact is that your are given a script, good or bad, that you have to examine and then rewrite for yourself. How fortunate I am that my parents gave me such a good script. It makes my path straighter. There are mistakes I didn't have to make, good things I didn't have to be convinced of or find the hard way.
I'm grateful to my mother for the million tiny things I'm noticing and remembering about her, puzzle pieces I'm putting together every day as I raise Greta and as I watch Catherine be a mother to her. I'm grateful also for the million tiny things I'll never know about. Because the fact is that there are no tiny things.
So, to my mother and to the mother of my child, happy Mother's Day.
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