Lessons from My Daughter

At various times in my life, I find that my children teach me so much (See lessons from Bam Bam). Just recently, I have been observing and appreciating my daughter's sweet and loving nature. In my observation, I realized that I should really strive to be like her. She has several character traits that I admire:

Love unconditionally: Buggy loves all of us unconditionally, especially her big brother. She really looks ups to Boogie and even when he is not as nice as he should be or his love is not reciprocal, she loves him with every part of her.

Forgive readily and easily:  Buggy is quick to forgive and lets bygones be bygones.  She does not ruminate on past hurts.  Her feelings were very hurt when Boogie did not want to spend time with her today. Oh, did she cry!  But she is always willing to try again and is thrilled when the answer is yes.

Be the first to say, "I Love You":  Randomly throughout the day, Buggy will look at me and say, "I love you, Mama." Oh, my heart sings when I hear it. It is the best thing to hear from any of my children and I treasure it every time I hear it.

Be Silly: My goofy girl is so very silly.  She giggles and laughs and finds the humor in mundane situations.  It's good to remember that life is FUN!

Cheerful Giver: Buggy is the first to share anything.  If Boogie says, "Can I have a bite?" or "Can I see that?" Or if we ask if she can share with her baby brother, she says, "Sure" with a happy heart. There is no hesitation, only yes.

Obedience:  Whenever we ask her to do something, her immediate answer is:  "Yes, Mommy." or "Yes, Daddy." Boy, could I take a lesson from her when God asks me to do something!

Happy Helper: I am always asking for help with something, "Watch your brother," "Can you get a diaper for me?" "Can you bring Mr. Bananas his blanket?"  Her answer is always, "yes" and she does it with a cheerful heart. I was just thinking of how when I am asked to volunteer or help in someway, my first thought is how I can get out of it (I know, I know, not very nice of me!). But watching my daughter help easily and happily, really makes me rethink of my first reaction. If I am going to help with something, my reaction should not be grumbling, but to do it with a happy heart and not look  for praise.

I am so very grateful for these little lessons. God has placed these wonderful children in my life and they have taught me so much. Most importantly they have taught me to look beyond myself and live with a happy heart. Thank you, Buggy. You make me a better Mama every single day!

I Timothy 4:12 My children are examples to others in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.

LOST

I'm a LOSTie. I fell in love with the television series LOST two seasons ago when it was already well underway and already had a huge following.  In the beginning I was against getting on the bandwagon and watching the newest trend. I mean, really, people lost at sea? Didn't we do that already when the Minnow was lost and people were stranded on Gilligan's Island?  Wasn't LOST just the same concept without the humor?

I was wrong. My husband and I stumbled upon LOST using our Netflix. After months, maybe years of hearing my sisters and brothers-in-law discuss LOST's plot I thought, What the heck? Let's Netflix it and see what all the buzz is about. Since then, we have been devoted LOSTies, netflixing LOST and picking several nights a week as our LOST time after our son was in bed.

LOST came at a time when I needed it most.  To me it was more than the intriguing storyline, the captivating characters, the stunning scenery, the fitting music.  It was a time for me to, well, get lost. To become lost in someone else's plight, to become lost in someone else's adventure, to follow story clues, to have questions and few answers, and to be left with even more questions and to be okay with that.

LOST became my refuge during a time when things were lost in my own world. I was working at a job that I loved that didn't seem to love me back.  I was working with people who liked my strong personality and independence, until they didn't like the line I was toeing.  I was being true to myself and at the same time losing sight of what was important in my personal life because I was overwhelmed with the pressure at work to do things a different way.

Through LOST I think I gained a little of Sawyer's sarcasm, Sayid's hope for redemption, Kate's rebelliousness, Jack's leadership, Hugo's gracious heart, Sun's change of heart, Jin's protective spirit, Claire's desire to keep her son and be a mommy, and Charlie's courageousness.  It was during my LOST time that I decided to take some time off from my job and become a stay-at-home Mom. The best decision I ever made.

As the LOST series comes to an end I am sad to see the characters go.  However, I think I've taken a little bit of each of their personalities to carry me forward. I'll miss getting LOST, but at least now I'm found...

(Dharma image found on tyroshutterbug.wordpress.com/2008/08/18/the-dharma-initiative-wants-you/)

So What's the Message for You?

Last week, my BFF broke her arm and her hand.  She did it on a day that she was going to come down and give me a hand when my husband was out of town.  She was trying so hard to make everything perfect for me, that I think it backfired. This woman is amazing. She really is a Super Hero.

When we got a chance to catch up and determine her prognosis, I told her that this might be Someone's way of telling her to slow down.  She does so much for her own family and others, that maybe in this weird way, this broken arm/hand is going to force her to slow down. I was so happy to hear that people are reciprocating all of her good deeds by taking care of her:  bringing her dinner, watching the kids, driving the kids, helping her around the house.

I know that she was bummed that she couldn't help me when I needed it.  As always she was looking out for me. When I told her that that this was Someone's way of telling her to slow down she asked me: "So what's the message for you?"

Huh...so what was my message since she couldn't come down? Well number 1, one of the messages is that I should take better care of her. Unfortunately, I won't be able to do that for a couple of weeks :(  Number 2, maybe the message for me is that I can survive a week with my husband being gone. That I might actually be able to do things on my own. And maybe, I should give myself a little more credit about what I am capable of doing solo.

Having my husband gone on a business trip is not the easiest thing...but is it really the hardest thing?  As we contemplate trying for baby #3, I gotta tell ya, the idea of being home alone with a preschooler, a toddler, and an infant is daunting.  It's not like I can tell Hubby not to go to work, or to not travel. His job is the reason that  I am able to stay home with my children. I can't really bust his chops about doing something that provides so much for us. It's not like he likes being away from the family.  It is what it is. So this week, I learned that yes, it is hard to have my husband go away while I'm home to take care of the kids and the home solo. But it is not impossible.

The kids were pretty awesome while Hubby was away. Boogie was very helpful, and Buggy kept us laughing.  I found inner strength to do what I thought I couldn't do solo. But, boy, and am I glad that he's home with us again!

"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13