My daughter asked me to watch the three youngest of her five children. I was driving to her home in the wee hours of the morning so she could leave with her friend for a day’s outing with the older two.
As I drove down I-95, I was thinking of a couple of situations that had recently “hurt my feelings and disappointed me in people.”
One situation occurred in the business world where I was promised something but didn’t get it in writing and that promise was broken. I was thinking about how my ex – I call him my Teacher because he came into my life for most of it and “Lessons Learned” from those many years are many to say the least! My “Teacher” is in the construction field. When it came to construction contracts he always stated,
“If it’s not in writing, it’s a lie.”
I thought that was harsh but he had learned his lessons well and never believed anyone would uphold their end of the bargain until it was in writing. He believed in contracts. Unfortunately he didn’t believe in the one with me but hey – that’s another story for another day! The Teacher isn’t always perfect!
Another situation was my own personal issue of “rescuing instead of helping” others. I had done it again and was feeling mad at myself. Not at anyone in particular – just at me. The difference between the two is this:
Helping: aid, assist
Rescuing: save
You see, I have a tendency to take on the world’s problems as my own. I want to RESCUE – save others – from their problems and I want to save the country as well. I guess it’s one reason God pulled me kicking and screaming into the political world. He knew my heart would be right and I would do whatever I could to save the country from the bad guys. I did my best and while doing so, I failed to take care of me. That’s what I do a lot. I forget about me and that is not healthy. While saving others, I tend to get close to losing Billie.
“Oh sigh of all sighs” I said out loud as I headed towards the full house of smiling Grands waiting to exhaust their Mimi with a full day of play.
After their Mom left, I fixed breakfast and had fun talking about eggs and where they came from and why you should not stand up in your chair while you eat! Then we watched a little kid’s tv and rested our tummies before heading outside to play in the 100 degree humidity!
Our play of choice was chalk drawings and although my third Grand wanted to chalk Mimi on the driveway – I convinced her it would take forever for her to chalk me and there wasn’t enough room on the driveway for my outline! Yikes – I could not even fathom a chalk drawing of me.
So we did chalk drawings of all the kids and then filled in the body outlines with clothing, shoes, hair and smiling faces. It was magical fun and while my hair turned frizzy from the humidity, my heart turned soft towards myself.
I let them outline my feet and paint them to look like sandals. Then I did the same with their little feet and they squealed with delight at all their art work on the driveway.
It was a great morning and I was glad I had spent it with small humans who have not yet learned to worry about the adult things of life. They are still so fresh from heaven that you can still smell angel dust on them as they play!
As we stood back and admired our paintings, I felt God speaking to my heart and saying – “There they are Billie. Your Lessons for the day.” And here my friends are the ones I learned and I hope you will too. That’s why I share these and that’s why I blog. My hope is you’ll learn from mine and not have to make them on your own. (Question: Is that me helping or rescuing you?):
- Chalk it up: When you mess up, it’s okay. Give yourself a break. Chalk it up to another learning experience and then forgive yourself and learn from it. Never to repeat it again! I’ve learned this. If you don’t learn from it — you will — and I promise — repeat it until you do. So stop the insanity and learn the lesson, please!
- Go outside and play: When life seems hard and your heart feels that way too, go outside and play with someone. Preferably with someone you love or someone who needs to be loved. It will soften your heart as it softens the curls in your hair!
- Know the difference between rescue and help: It’s okay to help others and you jump into the deep end with them when it becomes life and death. But never forget you need to take care of yourself too. You are just as important in the scheme of life!
- Remember, the kids are watching: Just like in the chalk drawings, I had to put on a happy face even though Mimi wasn’t happy when she got there. I had to do it for them. They have to see Mimi learning her lessons well too and learning to be happy within them. My Grands will follow in my “footsteps” one day and leaving a Happy Mimi lesson is the best gift I can leave them. Money will fade away but not the lessons we leave behind.
It’s Friday my friends. The weekend awaits you. I hope you’ll find someone you love to spend it with and I hope you’ll get outside and enjoy the blessings of God’s creation. And take a piece of chalk with you if you really want to have fun! Color happy faces wherever you go and your heart will melt with each one you paint! I promise you this is true.
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