Saturday, 27 February 2021

" Breaking loose from the apron strings "


 

“ Breaking loose from the Apron Strings.”

Every month Martin’s parent’s took a trip to see Grandma

And came home on the same train the next day.

One day the child said to his parents:

′′I'm already grown up.

Can I go to my grandma's alone?"

After a brief discussion, his parents accepted.

They stood with him as he waited for the train to exit.

They said goodbye to their son and gave him some tips through the window.

Martin repeated to them:

′′I know. I've been told this more than a thousand times."

As the train was about to leave, his father murmured in his ear:

′′Son if you feel bad or insecure, this is for you!"

And he put something in his pocket.

Now Martin was alone,

sitting on the train as he had wanted,

without his parents for the first time.

He was admiring the landscape out the window.

Around him some unknowns pushed themselves in.

They made a lot of noise.

They got in and out of the train car.

The conductor made some comments about him being alone.

One person looked at him with eyes of sadness.

Martin was feeling more uneasy with

every minute that passed.

And now he was scared.

He felt cornered and alone.

He put his head down, and

with tears in his eyes,

He remembered his dad had

Put something in his pocket.

Trembling, he searched for what his father had given him.

Upon finding the piece of paper he read it:

′′Son, I'm in the last train car!".

That's how life is,

We must let our kids go

We must let them try new things.

But we always like to be

In the last car, watching,

in case they are afraid

or in case they find obstacles and don’t know what to do.

We want to be close to them.

as long as we are still alive.

(Adapted from Unknown author)



 





Friday, 19 February 2021

Grow old along with me + To Believe


 

Grow old along with me

Grow old along with me
The best is yet to be
When our time has come
We will be as one
God bless our love
God bless our love

Grow old along with me
Two branches of one tree
Face the setting sun
When the day is done
God bless our love
God bless our love

Spending our lives together
Man and wife together
World without end
World without end

Grow old along with me
whatever fate decrees
We will see it through
for our love is true
God bless our love
God bless our love

Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2gfiet4PtI&ab_channel=AdamfulgenceakaEileen




To Believe

Jackie Evancho

Before I lay me down to rest
I ask the Lord one small request
I know I have all I could need
But this prayer is not for me

Too many people on this day
Don't have a peaceful place to stay
Let all fighting cease that your children may see peace
Wipe their tears of sorrow away

To believe in a day
When hunger and war will pass away
To have the hope amidst despair
That every sparrow's counted
That you hear each cry and listen to each prayer

Let me try always to believe
That we can hear the hearts that grieve
Please help us not ignore
The anguished cries of the poor
Or their pain will never leave

To believe in a day
When hunger and war will pass away
To have the hope amidst despair
That every sparrow's counted
That you hear their cries and listen to each prayer

Father as you see I’m just a child
And there’s so much to understand
But if your grace should surround me
Then I’ll do the best I can
I promise, I’ll do the very best I can

To believe in a day
When hunger and war will pass away
To have the hope amidst despair
That every sparrow's counted
That you hear their cries and listen to each prayer                                                                                                   

Help us do your will, oh Father
In the name of all that’s true
And we’ll see in one another
The loving image of You.

To Believe  Jackie Evancho

Here is the link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHa1e83g-ak&ab_channel=BobMarshall



Sunday, 14 February 2021

" Kids are Resilient "


 

 Today, I dared to let myself Dream

Today, I dared to let myself dream,

That the world will one day open again.

That the locks will loosen, the walls will fall,

The doors will fly open and reunite us all.

I dared to imagine the warmth of a cuddle,

A group of my friends all locked in a huddle.

I felt all the heartbeats, drumming with mine,

I heard all the laughter, I tasted the wine.

I thought of the feelings I’ve missed for long,

The room full of music, united by song.

The freedom to roam, to plan and to meet

To hold someone’s hand, to meet, to greet.

Just for a moment I dared to dream of,

The flights I would board to the places I love.

The moment those eyes would meet mine at the gate,

The feeling of joy after so long a wait.

Today, I dared to let myself dream,

That the life we once had would happen again.

That we’d no longer fear the danger of air,

That our lives would not depend on such care.

They say that we mustn’t wish time away,

But it’s hard, my friend, when faced with a day,

So long in blank hours and so wiped of laughter,

It’s tempting to drift away to thereafter.

So yes, I dared to dream just a while,

Of life coming back, it brought me a smile.

One day I know, this will be in the past,

And hugs will be free, again, at last.

Donna Ashworth


This is our Home and I won’t turn it in to a Battleground.

 

I’ve lost a year with my kids battling over school and I’m done.

My seven year old and I were in the midst of our usual asynchronous day battle. I had his writing homework in my hand from school. He’d written several full, well-thought-out sentences.

But he won’t do the same for me, at least not without a fight.

I told him he didn’t have to write about his best day like his teacher asked, he could write about his worst. He could write about whatever he wanted as long as he wrote a few sentences.

He said he’d get in trouble. He said he was doing a bad job in first grade. He was on the brink of tears but didn’t know why.

And it hit me.

Instead of getting frustrated and pushing the assignment, I sat down with him at his desk in his superhero bedroom.

I said “you won’t get in trouble and you can’t fail first grade. In fact, you’re kind of a superhero yourself.”

He sat up in his chair just a little and looked at me with disbelief.

I said, “Do you know that no kids in the history of kids have ever had to do what you’re doing right now? No kids in the history of kids have ever had to do school at home, sitting in their bedroom, watching their teacher on a computer. You and your friends are making history.”

A visible weight lifted from his seven year old shoulders, “What does that mean?”

I told him it means I haven’t given him nearly enough credit for rolling with the punches. I told him how proud I am of him and his friends. That kids this year are doing the impossible and they’re doing a really great job.

I apologized for not saying it sooner and more often. A little tear fell down his cheek.

We’ve thanked everyone from healthcare workers to grocery store employees but we haven’t thanked the kids enough for bearing the burden of what we’ve put on their shoulders this year.

We’ve said kids are resilient, and they are. But they are the real superheroes in this whole scenario for having ZERO say in their lives but doing their best to adjust every day.

We closed his school-issued laptop and spent the rest of the day playing. This was supposed to be temporary and here we are a year later still trying to hold our head above water.

This is our home and I won’t turn it into a battle ground anymore over something we can’t control. Something that no longer makes sense.

Hug your little superheroes today and don’t forget to cut them the slack we’ve given everyone else.



 

Friday, 5 February 2021

" Letting go "


 


“ Letting go “

When you first have children they talk about the challenges of parenting....                                                       the struggles of a baby waking in the night,                                                                                                            the toddler who won’t stay in their bed,  the cost of childcare, injuries from sports...                                                                                                              Having to take off work to pick them up from school when they don’t feel well,                                          helping them with homework, a messy house, the never ending laundry,                                                            the cost to buy school clothes, packing their lunches....

You watch their eyes light up on Christmas morning....                                                                                      and try to soak in the magic of those moments.

You coach them in sports, rushing to practices and ballgames...and tote them all over the country to let them play the game they love...no matter how exhausting or expensive it becomes.

Life is just so busy that you rarely even stop to think what the end of those days look like.

In fact, it’s not really even something you can wrap your mind around.

You go into it thinking that 18-20 years sounds like a long time....

Then suddenly hours turn into days...days into months...and months into years.

That little person that used to crawl up next to you in bed and cuddle up to watch cartoons...suddenly becomes this young adult who hugs you in the hallway as they come and go.

And the chaos and laughter that used to echo throughout your home....gets filled with silence and solitude.

You’ve learned how to parent a child who needs you to care for and protect them....but have no clue how the whole “letting go” thing is supposed to work.

So you hold on as tight as you can...wondering how time passed so quickly...feeling guilty that you missed something....

Because even though you had 20 years.....it just somehow doesn’t seem like it was enough.

You ask yourself so many questions...

Did you teach them the right lessons?

Did you read them enough books as a child?

Spend enough time playing with them?

How many school parties did you have to miss?

Do they really know how much you love them?

What could I have done better as a parent?

.....When it’s time for them to go, it all hits you like a ton of bricks.

And all you can do is pray....hope....and trust that God will protect them as they start to make their way into the world alone.

Parenting is by far the most amazing experience of your life....that at times leaves you exhilarated....while others leave you heartbroken.

But one thing is certain.....it’s never enough time...

So for all the parents with young children...whose days are spent trying to figure out how to make it through the madness...

Exhausted day in and day out...

Soak. It. All. In.

Because one day....all those crazy days full of cartoons, snuggles, sleep overs, Christmas morning magic, ballgames, practices and late night dinners...

All come to an end.

And you’re left hoping that you did enough right, so that when they spread their wings....

They’ll fly...


 



Forgiveness

  Forgiveness  My father once said, “If they hurt you, forgive them, but never forget what they’ve done.” This has always been a reminder ...