“Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8
I have heard September called the “Mom Olympics” with all the obstacles we have to overcome to get our kids settled back at school. If September is the Olympics, June must be the Olympic Trials. As the school year winds down, our days wind up into a frenzied whirlwind of school concerts, field trips, field days, class parties, etc.
I’ve always believed, and experienced, that when I have a clean mother’s heart, I can see God in each of my children’s eyes. However, despite being with them through all this end-of-the-school-year chaos, I can’t remember the last time I had a moment to pause and really see them, make eye contact, and recognize that He is there.
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This past weekend was insane for everyone. Between high school graduation parties, baptisms, birthday parties and kids’ sporting events, there wasn’t a single mom I spoke with who wasn’t running from Friday afternoon, right up until Sunday evening. I was no exception.
Before becoming a mother, I saw kids as a clean slate. I believed it was a mom’s responsibility to teach them everything: form every aspect of them. Based on that, I was a patient and creative mom with my first child, Zack. I almost never yelled or lost my cool.
I’d like to thank Lisa Hendey, Barb Szyszkiewicz, and Rebecca Willen over at CatholicMom.com for accepting me as a regular contributor. Every month I’ll be posting one Daily Gospel Reflection (DGR) and one regular articular on their fabulous site.
Zack has been complaining about going to karate class lately. He’s only a few belts away from black belt, and desperately wants to achieve that. But he’s in that lazy and arrogant pre-teen phase where he thinks he should know it all by now, and shouldn’t have to work at it.
The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones… Luke 16:10
Kids’ cartoons are far more sophisticated now than when I was a child. My favorite new addition is the “back story.” It fills in the details leading up to that moment in the story, adds credibility, and helps us buy in more.
Knock on wood, my kids are rarely sick. I chalk it up to good genetics on my mother’s side, and a very basic two step combination.
Jocelyn has two older brothers who are into Five Nights at Freddy’s and other video games that have scary looking characters. No matter how much I try to keep her from them, she manages to get exposed nonetheless. The images weave their way into her dreams, and she wakes up frightened.
For years, the after school hours in my house have been a disaster. I often share my complaint with other moms, hoping they have the same problem (Misery loves company.). When they look at me with confusion, I feel like a failure.
Shifting My Perspective 