i appreciate my sister-in-law, Susan, for being so honest:
every one of us has something that we hide, something that we are
ashamed of. and every once in a while that thing becomes exposed and
we either lose something that is precious to us, or our self esteem
takes a serious blow or we hurt someone who we would rather die than
hurt. sometimes it can be repaired and sometimes important things are
lost.
i have told my kids that it is fun to be their mother. i can say, oh
yes, he won the election, was chosen, plays D1 football, has an
amazing job, is beautiful and smart and doing exactly the kinds of
things that mothers are proud of. but obviously they have
disappointments and do things that hurt themselves and others and of
course i talk much less about those things.
recently, i finished one job in order to start another and the
situation at the job I was leaving deteriorated in a way that i am not
proud of at the very end. i was ashamed and exposed in front of my
family but i did not hide it from them. it has been so important to
me, every single day that i have had the privilege to have my
children, that i am a good mother. i felt that this time, being a
good mother would be letting my kids see my mistakes and talking to
them about being human, which means not only triumph but making
mistakes, learning from them and trying with all your might to move
forward smarter, more humble, more ready for the next thing that life
sends your way.
this week, my child had a bitter disappointment and feels remorse, as
is appropriate, and my mothers heart is broken for everyone involved.
i must say… this is life, good and bad, you are human, you will heal,
be humble, take responsibility, please God, learn from your mistakes.
and even in setback, appreciate.