This morning in the wee hours, I pondered as I do many a time about our home:
--am I giving my children the freedom they need to thrive?
--am I creating a good environment to inspire them?
--do I push or do I inspire this child or that?
--how much screen time/movies should we allow?
--when are they old enough to not worry about it?
--how can I help with our family health and eating habits?
--how much do I schedule and how much do I let them go?
--do I say "yes" to everything or say "no, this is what I need to do...you will need to wait" (even when they are being oh, so cute!)?
--video games aren't really that bad as a stress relief...is now the time to not worry about it?
These are just a tiny portion of the questions that cycle through my mind...the more recent ones.
Many times as a question comes to mind, I think about examples of people that I have watched over the years. It's kind of like watching a movie playing across my mind: scenes, images, examples play across and I evaluate and learn anew.
This morning, my walk through memories took me through some of my favorite people in the world: Quinn's family. I haven't always appreciated them. This morning's stroll through memories reminded me how dear to my heart they are...how many lessons I have learned from them.
In particular, this morning I thought of Niesha, his oldest sister. I have sat for hours on her couch, watching how with love and acceptance she has raised some of the most caring, gentle and vibrant children I have ever met. They glow. I have been reflecting on her tolerant, open-pantry policy and how she has raised responsible, healthy children without some of the crazy rules I have in my house. I know that each family is different and each situation is different, but I love having her example to look to and learn from. She trusts and loves and seems to breathe an underlying faith in an individual to be okay. It's like I have been storing up memories over the years to replay and learn from as I have sat on her couch and observed her unassuming mothering that probably approaches the most Christ-like I have ever seen. She has a mother's heart.
The same goes for Misty and her darlings...each one has a special light. And they all know they are loved. I thought of her hours of service, of listening, of laughing and relaxing as she enjoys her kids or her company (me and my family!). Her service is of a quieter kind and I have always come away from being with her feeling loved and accepted.
You know...sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in our differences or lose track of people through time or distance. I am grateful for the times we have spent together that continue to come back and teach me. As I realized that it was Quinn's family I was pulling inspiration from, my mind turned to the others and I was quietly humbled by the goodness I have gained through the years.
I thought of Shara and the counsel she has unwittingly given me and shown me about mental and physical health...of simple phrases she has spoken over the years, like this one: "I love children. You always know exactly where you stand with them," reflecting her deep and abiding love of children. She makes us laugh, sharing readily in games and memories with my kids and Quinn. Her laugh and smile is infectious. I love the conversations I have had with her. I have learned more than she probably realizes through the years, absorbing much from her strength and trials that we have shared over the years.
Heidi has remained as one of my inspirations in tolerance, service and steadiness. She makes everything flow better during family vacations together and seeks to be mindful of everyone and their wishes. She gets that from her dad, her passion for serving and love of adventure. Heidi is the thoughtful one, with presents consistently and lovingly sent on each birthday--reminding each person that at least some one is thinking of them. Heidi is like that: quietly serving, reaching the one.
Zy and Cody have always been so gentle and loving and accepting over the years, two welcome brothers to add to my six I had growing up. The laughs remind me of why I married my own husband, another product of that remarkable home.
And Tasha. Awesome Tasha. I always think of her with a smile. Oh, the hours we have spent philosophizing together, differences of opinion regardless! I know that I can always feel comfortable to express myself and know that I will be taught from her. Wish we could live closer. Dinner conversations with her always make me think, and I love to think!
You know, the cool thing about this is that they are 100% genuine and human throughout it all. Times of tears, times of contention, times of laughter, times of sheer frustration like the year we had to pack up and leave from a family vacation due to intense wind storms.
Maybe that is what is so endearing overall, the way they stick through their love for each other through all the hard times. They are open in their frustration yet constant in their underlying desire to look out for each other.
Quinn's dad...oh, the lessons I have learned from him! I am more thorough and pay more attention to detail than I ever did before, for which I am truly grateful. His loyalty and steady drive to do what is good and right are instilled deep in my husband and my children are beginning to get that from him. Quinn's mom is the soul of gentleness, the loving glue that holds them all together. From recipes to humble striving, my heart is better because I know her. The hours of game playing, cleaning up together, vacationing...for some reason, they have all been particularly close to my heart the last few weeks.
Anyway, I just wanted to pay tribute to the unheralded many ways Quinn's family has blessed my life, a very inadequate tribute but one I wanted to acknowledge in my own imperfect way. Thank you. All of you. I pray that my own children will marry as well as I did.
--am I giving my children the freedom they need to thrive?
--am I creating a good environment to inspire them?
--do I push or do I inspire this child or that?
--how much screen time/movies should we allow?
--when are they old enough to not worry about it?
--how can I help with our family health and eating habits?
--how much do I schedule and how much do I let them go?
--do I say "yes" to everything or say "no, this is what I need to do...you will need to wait" (even when they are being oh, so cute!)?
--video games aren't really that bad as a stress relief...is now the time to not worry about it?
These are just a tiny portion of the questions that cycle through my mind...the more recent ones.
Many times as a question comes to mind, I think about examples of people that I have watched over the years. It's kind of like watching a movie playing across my mind: scenes, images, examples play across and I evaluate and learn anew.
This morning, my walk through memories took me through some of my favorite people in the world: Quinn's family. I haven't always appreciated them. This morning's stroll through memories reminded me how dear to my heart they are...how many lessons I have learned from them.
In particular, this morning I thought of Niesha, his oldest sister. I have sat for hours on her couch, watching how with love and acceptance she has raised some of the most caring, gentle and vibrant children I have ever met. They glow. I have been reflecting on her tolerant, open-pantry policy and how she has raised responsible, healthy children without some of the crazy rules I have in my house. I know that each family is different and each situation is different, but I love having her example to look to and learn from. She trusts and loves and seems to breathe an underlying faith in an individual to be okay. It's like I have been storing up memories over the years to replay and learn from as I have sat on her couch and observed her unassuming mothering that probably approaches the most Christ-like I have ever seen. She has a mother's heart.
The same goes for Misty and her darlings...each one has a special light. And they all know they are loved. I thought of her hours of service, of listening, of laughing and relaxing as she enjoys her kids or her company (me and my family!). Her service is of a quieter kind and I have always come away from being with her feeling loved and accepted.
You know...sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in our differences or lose track of people through time or distance. I am grateful for the times we have spent together that continue to come back and teach me. As I realized that it was Quinn's family I was pulling inspiration from, my mind turned to the others and I was quietly humbled by the goodness I have gained through the years.
I thought of Shara and the counsel she has unwittingly given me and shown me about mental and physical health...of simple phrases she has spoken over the years, like this one: "I love children. You always know exactly where you stand with them," reflecting her deep and abiding love of children. She makes us laugh, sharing readily in games and memories with my kids and Quinn. Her laugh and smile is infectious. I love the conversations I have had with her. I have learned more than she probably realizes through the years, absorbing much from her strength and trials that we have shared over the years.
Heidi has remained as one of my inspirations in tolerance, service and steadiness. She makes everything flow better during family vacations together and seeks to be mindful of everyone and their wishes. She gets that from her dad, her passion for serving and love of adventure. Heidi is the thoughtful one, with presents consistently and lovingly sent on each birthday--reminding each person that at least some one is thinking of them. Heidi is like that: quietly serving, reaching the one.
Zy and Cody have always been so gentle and loving and accepting over the years, two welcome brothers to add to my six I had growing up. The laughs remind me of why I married my own husband, another product of that remarkable home.
And Tasha. Awesome Tasha. I always think of her with a smile. Oh, the hours we have spent philosophizing together, differences of opinion regardless! I know that I can always feel comfortable to express myself and know that I will be taught from her. Wish we could live closer. Dinner conversations with her always make me think, and I love to think!
You know, the cool thing about this is that they are 100% genuine and human throughout it all. Times of tears, times of contention, times of laughter, times of sheer frustration like the year we had to pack up and leave from a family vacation due to intense wind storms.
Maybe that is what is so endearing overall, the way they stick through their love for each other through all the hard times. They are open in their frustration yet constant in their underlying desire to look out for each other.
Quinn's dad...oh, the lessons I have learned from him! I am more thorough and pay more attention to detail than I ever did before, for which I am truly grateful. His loyalty and steady drive to do what is good and right are instilled deep in my husband and my children are beginning to get that from him. Quinn's mom is the soul of gentleness, the loving glue that holds them all together. From recipes to humble striving, my heart is better because I know her. The hours of game playing, cleaning up together, vacationing...for some reason, they have all been particularly close to my heart the last few weeks.
Anyway, I just wanted to pay tribute to the unheralded many ways Quinn's family has blessed my life, a very inadequate tribute but one I wanted to acknowledge in my own imperfect way. Thank you. All of you. I pray that my own children will marry as well as I did.
I agree you married into a wonderful family! Beautifully written!
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