During a moment of quiet, reflect on each of your children and what God intends to teach you through them.
Molly, a practicing psychologist, already had two toddlers when she had her third child, Hannah, who cried nearly incessantly. “I was not coping well,” she says. “I was a hardworking perfectionist! But with Hannah the only thing that would soothe her for even a little while was me. I was frazzled and felt like I was abandoning my other babies. But over time I saw myself giving up on my attempts to control the situation. I lightened up and didn’t expect perfection of myself or others.
“Then one day,” says Molly, “Hannah stopped crying so much. It took a while, but I began to think that what had happened was a lesson. I wasn’t in charge, God was. ”
Amy, mother of three, whose daughter has a serious medical condition, says each of her children teaches her something, but her daughter’s response to her illness has inspired her. “Colleen has taught me perseverance and positive attitude. She has taught me to appreciate each day and the love of family and friends. She truly lives for each day.
—by Annemarie Scobey, from the pages of At Home with Our Faith, Claretian Publications’ print newsletter for parents on nurturing spirituality in the home. Winner of the 2012 Best in Class award from the Associated Church Press, as well as a First Place General Excellence award from the Catholic Press Association for the past three years running. Here’s a sample issue.
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Filed under: Family spirituality, Handing on the faith
