Whew... gonna just squeak in under the deadline tonight.
Some days, it is really, really fun to be a messenger. When you can bring someone good news - especially in celebrating a personal achievement or in winning a remarkable honor, those are the best days of being a messenger.
Some days, it is really, really dreadful to be a messenger. If you have to bring sad news or tough news, that's not fun. I used to be an Army wife. And there was one messenger I never wanted to see. The one who bears the news of your soldier not coming home. I am thankful that in my years, that messenger didn't have to come to my door. But I have friends where that messenger arrived. We all pray for those spouses, those moms, those loved ones who's family will never be the same.
But ... do we ever stop and pray for that messenger? The person charged with bringing the toughest news a family will ever hear? I don't know that I have. But I really should. I can't even imaging being that messenger. They face down a really hard mission every time that they do that, and I'm making it one of my missions this year - to pause and pray over those messengers. To give them strength and compassion. To help them make the initial news easier to bear for the families. And to thank them from afar, for always bringing the news with grace.
Stop.
Linking up with Lisa-Jo and the gang over at Five Minute Friday ...
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Friday, June 13, 2014
The Last Day of Third Grade
A letter to my oldest daughter's third grade teacher.
Dear Mrs. P,
Thank you for this amazing year. I was nervous, I must confess. Every single day of last summer, S asked me "Mama, did the teacher letters come yet? Did I get Mrs. P? I HAVE to get Mrs. P. She is the best." And all summer long, I prayed for her to get the teacher that would make 3rd grade work. 2nd grade was hard - we transitioned to a new home, a new school, a new teacher all in the middle of the year. I desperately needed 3rd grade to work, and to work well, for her. She's a sensitive girl, my now 9 year old, and I know after this year, you are all too aware of her nature.
I was afraid that if she DID get you as a teacher, you'd never be able to live up to her expectations. Not because you are not a fabulous teacher - I know first hand that you are. Rather, she had you on such a pedestal, that I thought she would be disappointed - that 3rd grade would never be what she dreamed it could be with you. And I was afraid that if she DIDN'T have you, she'd hate 3rd grade from day 1 and it would be a long, ugly year. Not a great option either way, really.
Sitting here this morning, I am delighted to say all my fears were unfounded. Every last one of them. Not only did you live up to everything she had imagined, you far exceeded all those expectations that she held. You helped her to have a fantastic year in 3rd grade.
You encouraged her when she was unsure of her ability in certain subject areas. (Math, anyone?!) And you convinced me to let you push her harder than I thought she should be pushed - that you could get her to love math. To stop hating math homework. To look forward to it, and to believe in her innermost heart that she WAS good at math if only she'd stick with you. Thank you for that conversation we had last fall. Thank you for telling me there would be a few ugly days but you could see the light at the end of the tunnel. You were right! Most days now, she is sitting down for math homework without a fight or a grumpy word. She is excited to tell me when she's done well; when she's mastered a concept. And she can whip out those multiplication tables like she's known them forever. Thank you for seeing the potential there - for making sure that we kept her in the accelerated class and for being willing to watch it so closely. For knowing the fine line between too hard and not enough, and for walking it every day. Thank you for helping her believe in herself.
Thank you for knowing just how to handle her emotions that sit so close to the surface. For hugging her when she was sad. For seeing when she needed that. Thank you for helping to develop her confidence to speak in front of people. I have never seen her excited to present a poster in front of her class before, until you. Thank you for encouraging friendships. She has come a long way since her quiet, tentative shy moments at the beginning of the year. Thank you for teaching her to be kind. Thank you for encouraging her to show compassion and for teaching her to work through issues with her words. Thank you for fostering her curiosity and for stretching her imagination.
Thank you for teaching her, for loving her, and for making third grade everything she needed, even when I didn't know what that was.
Love,
One very grateful mom
Dear Mrs. P,
Thank you for this amazing year. I was nervous, I must confess. Every single day of last summer, S asked me "Mama, did the teacher letters come yet? Did I get Mrs. P? I HAVE to get Mrs. P. She is the best." And all summer long, I prayed for her to get the teacher that would make 3rd grade work. 2nd grade was hard - we transitioned to a new home, a new school, a new teacher all in the middle of the year. I desperately needed 3rd grade to work, and to work well, for her. She's a sensitive girl, my now 9 year old, and I know after this year, you are all too aware of her nature.
I was afraid that if she DID get you as a teacher, you'd never be able to live up to her expectations. Not because you are not a fabulous teacher - I know first hand that you are. Rather, she had you on such a pedestal, that I thought she would be disappointed - that 3rd grade would never be what she dreamed it could be with you. And I was afraid that if she DIDN'T have you, she'd hate 3rd grade from day 1 and it would be a long, ugly year. Not a great option either way, really.
Sitting here this morning, I am delighted to say all my fears were unfounded. Every last one of them. Not only did you live up to everything she had imagined, you far exceeded all those expectations that she held. You helped her to have a fantastic year in 3rd grade.
You encouraged her when she was unsure of her ability in certain subject areas. (Math, anyone?!) And you convinced me to let you push her harder than I thought she should be pushed - that you could get her to love math. To stop hating math homework. To look forward to it, and to believe in her innermost heart that she WAS good at math if only she'd stick with you. Thank you for that conversation we had last fall. Thank you for telling me there would be a few ugly days but you could see the light at the end of the tunnel. You were right! Most days now, she is sitting down for math homework without a fight or a grumpy word. She is excited to tell me when she's done well; when she's mastered a concept. And she can whip out those multiplication tables like she's known them forever. Thank you for seeing the potential there - for making sure that we kept her in the accelerated class and for being willing to watch it so closely. For knowing the fine line between too hard and not enough, and for walking it every day. Thank you for helping her believe in herself.
Thank you for knowing just how to handle her emotions that sit so close to the surface. For hugging her when she was sad. For seeing when she needed that. Thank you for helping to develop her confidence to speak in front of people. I have never seen her excited to present a poster in front of her class before, until you. Thank you for encouraging friendships. She has come a long way since her quiet, tentative shy moments at the beginning of the year. Thank you for teaching her to be kind. Thank you for encouraging her to show compassion and for teaching her to work through issues with her words. Thank you for fostering her curiosity and for stretching her imagination.
Thank you for teaching her, for loving her, and for making third grade everything she needed, even when I didn't know what that was.
Love,
One very grateful mom
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Hands (Five Minute Friday)
A letter to my children - about the importance of hands.
Dear S & A,
As you grow, your hands will grow and change. They're your own, you know. God made them especially for you. Hands do a lot of things, and while you don't likely know it now, they trigger memories. Lots and lots of memories.
So when you are older, like me, I hope you have many good memories - and many great characteristics tied together by the hands of our family.
May your hands teach like your Dadada's. May they show hospitality like your Mamama's. May they have integrity like your Grampy's handshake. May they be encouraging like your Nana's. May they tickle and tease in love like your Uncle Jeff's. May they be strong like your Daddy's and kind like your LiLi's. May they bring giggles like your little brother's.
May they show grace and forgiveness like I pray you have seen in mine. And may they always reach out in love, like Jesus.
Love,
Mommy
------------------
Linking up with Lisa-Jo and the lovely writers of Five Minute Friday. Come join us, won't you?
Find the prompt. Write for 5 minutes - no edits, backtracks, typos welcome. Then link up, and then leave a little encouragement for the one who linked before you. That's the heart of our Five Minute Friday community.
Dear S & A,
As you grow, your hands will grow and change. They're your own, you know. God made them especially for you. Hands do a lot of things, and while you don't likely know it now, they trigger memories. Lots and lots of memories.
So when you are older, like me, I hope you have many good memories - and many great characteristics tied together by the hands of our family.
May your hands teach like your Dadada's. May they show hospitality like your Mamama's. May they have integrity like your Grampy's handshake. May they be encouraging like your Nana's. May they tickle and tease in love like your Uncle Jeff's. May they be strong like your Daddy's and kind like your LiLi's. May they bring giggles like your little brother's.
May they show grace and forgiveness like I pray you have seen in mine. And may they always reach out in love, like Jesus.
Love,
Mommy
------------------
Linking up with Lisa-Jo and the lovely writers of Five Minute Friday. Come join us, won't you?
Find the prompt. Write for 5 minutes - no edits, backtracks, typos welcome. Then link up, and then leave a little encouragement for the one who linked before you. That's the heart of our Five Minute Friday community.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Nothing (Five Minute Friday)
I didn't really have anything to write about this week - ironic for the word "nothing". And then I read my friend Matt's post about the game we were at on Sunday. We saw Yu Darvish throw an Eephus pitch to Adam Laroche. It's one of the craziest pitches to watch. And the batter thinks so, too, as he usually stands there looking a bit dumbfounded.
What does that have to do with the word nothing? Well, I decided to find out where the name "Eephus" came from. Turned to my old pal Google, who sent me right to our favorite information source: Wikipedia. Baseball folklore at it's finest in there. While nothing is for sure with these things, the word may have come from the Hebrew word of the same pronunciation (EFF-ess) which means "nothing." I don't know how to type Hebrew characters on here. Go read the wiki link.
So, my five minutes this week was spent in study and learning something new and fun. Since my girls were with me at the game, I could show them the replay and talk about it with them. Now we have 3 Nats fans that know a little bit more about nothing.
----
Linking up with Lisa-Jo and the Five Minute Friday crew, including the #FMFparty gang on Twitter.
What does that have to do with the word nothing? Well, I decided to find out where the name "Eephus" came from. Turned to my old pal Google, who sent me right to our favorite information source: Wikipedia. Baseball folklore at it's finest in there. While nothing is for sure with these things, the word may have come from the Hebrew word of the same pronunciation (EFF-ess) which means "nothing." I don't know how to type Hebrew characters on here. Go read the wiki link.
So, my five minutes this week was spent in study and learning something new and fun. Since my girls were with me at the game, I could show them the replay and talk about it with them. Now we have 3 Nats fans that know a little bit more about nothing.
----
Linking up with Lisa-Jo and the Five Minute Friday crew, including the #FMFparty gang on Twitter.
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