Like most families, the weekday morning is rush, rush for us. We are on a timeline and not far removed from the drill sergeant tempo and loud demanding commands which get everyone focused quickly ...except for my son Robert. He is not a morning person and sometimes doesn't respond well to opening his eyes before he can see the sun through his window.
A few years ago, I was rushing to get my daughter, Saniyah, ready for school. We were already running late and I had not started to do her hair. For those of you who don't know, Saniyah's hair is beautiful. However, she has a head completely full of it! You can't just do it in a jiffy. IT TAKES TIME! This particular morning I was dreading the Saniyah hair process to the tenth degree. As I reluctantly started to brush and comb a full head of hair, she said "Mommy, I thank Jesus for a mommy who will do my hair". I paused. Then, I almost teared up for two very apparent reasons.
1. I felt so bad to have dreaded doing her hair.
2. I am thankful for a daughter who knows that we should not take the little things for granted.
I put the comb down, looked her right in her eyes and thanked her for saying that. Then, I gave her the biggest hug you can imagine. I just held her and told her how much I loved her. When I finally released her from my arms, she stood there looking like Tangled Tanya (a character from a children's book). She had a grin on her face like she knew she had done something really good.
At that moment I knew that she had taught me something. Kids can teach us so much if we just listen to them. We teach them, but boy can they teach us as well! That day she taught me to approach even the tiny, mundane tasks the same way I approach everything else. Some things you may not want to do but you can still do them with a sense of purpose, a sense of urgency. I will carry this lesson with me at home, at work, and even as I reach my goals with Watch My Feet.org.
You may not want to do certain things at work, but you should do them willingly and to the best of your ability. You never know who's watching or who you may encourage in the process. Do what is required of you. If what is required is not in alignment with who you are as a person, then change it. Don't continue to live a life that does not work for you. Anything can be changed by simply adjusting your thought process.
We as women do so much without even thinking about it. We do it because we have to survive. I can say that if you genuinely love and are doing the right things for your children, they notice and they appreciate it. You may not feel it immediately, but look and listen. After a while you will hear and see the small nuggets of appreciation, rather it be periodically or when they are old enough to look back and say "Thank You Jesus".
Teresa H. Snipes
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