I had the pleasure of attending Kate Short Lindsay’s first Divine Mama Circle on Saturday morning here at Farm School. I hope that more moms in our area can make it out to a circle, which we hope will become a monthly event. The fact that the circle was held at the start of the weekend was perfect for me, and helped set the tone for my interactions with my busy family the rest of the weekend. Kate helped all of the attendees consider the power of slow-drip irrigation–slowly dripping goodness and nourishment to ourselves as mothers so that our root stays planted firmly and delightfully in the ground as we take care of all the things moms do. We accomplished so much in the two hours we were together, and I left celebrating the things that I had already implemented for myself and my family, as well as new ideas about ways I can add more nourishment for myself amid family life and commitments. Watch for the date for the next circle in April, and know that even if you can’t make it or even if you’re nervous, there are some local moms holding a loving place for you.
Along similar lines, I follow a lot of blogs, and one of my favorites is Design Mom’s “Living with Kids” series. In this series, blogger Gabrielle Blair has a guest mom share pictures of her home and answer questions about things like what she likes about where she lives and what family life is like behind the scenes. Gabrielle also has the guest complete the sentence “I wish someone had told me…”. Laura George, the subject of the most recent “Living with Kids” series, touched my heart (and spoke to my worries) at least three different times when she shared:
“I hope that my kids remember being taken care of, and that love fills in the times when I didn’t get things right.”
“I already miss the friendly openness of my oldest, who is about to enter the uncertain world of his teens, and the pudgy starfish hands of the baby, and that soft, soft skin of a baby’s neck.”
“When we’re wrapped up in parenting and trying to get through the next moment, it’s so easy to forget that the broken, failing person that one feels like at times is not the person your child sees. On nights when I’m laying in bed staring at the ceiling and telling Cylon {my husband} how it feels like I did a terrible job that day, my kids aren’t laying in their beds thinking about what a horrible mom I was. Every day we have to trust that grace is going to give us a chance to do it again and fix the rough edges.”
Wow! I hope you find as much encouragement as I do in conversations with other moms–whether they are real at an event like a Divine Mama Circle, or virtual on blogs such as Design Mom.
Have a happy Monday!
~Leslie
