Beautiful Glimpses of Wholeness

Jemila wrote an excellent post yesterday that encapsulates so many of my own thoughts about parenting, personal fulfillment and what it means to truly give of myself and yet retain something of myself as well (thanks, as always, for your beautiful words, Jemila).

I have realized that there is nothing like being a mother to bring out my own insecurities. This can be particularly true with my middle child. He's so much like me in many ways, especially as I was as a child. He has some stuff he struggles with and I tend to really push him and worry, fret and cause more problems for him because of my own issues.

In the last couple weeks, I feel like I've been given little peeks into who Nate is and what makes him tick that have allowed me to step back and "get it". I love it. He doesn't do life in a way that I can measure. He doesn't do life in a way that is easily measured by anyone, really. And yet, inside this little person is this amazing strength, creativity and stamina.

As a mom, I'm learning to release expectations that are unattainable for my children. I'm learning to stop long enough to figure out my own stuff before I load it down on my kids. In the midst of that, I am able to enjoy their strengths, gifts and incredible personalities.