Truthful lips endure for ever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
Do you dare to tell the truth? I do. Here are five minutes of writing by me on true words this week…
A young mom enters my speech therapy office with her two year old: “Oh honey don’t pick your nose.”
Me: “It’s okay. We all do.”
Our dog in a cone post neutering.
Me in my head: “Great. We have a special needs dog now. I have to adapt how we hold him, and how we feed him.”
I was able to move his food from bowels to plates and now he can eat and drink independently. Apparently he no longer wants to poop or pee outdoors though. And, we have to hold him by his sides or hind legs gingerly to move him up or down steps or to our laps. Seven days of the cone…oh my heart.
Our other heart struggle and joy are our own two sons. Picture this…two boys lounging on couches on screens ages seven and ten years: One on Zelda Wii U, and the other on his tablet playing games.
Me: “Boys you need to take a screen break.”
Them: no response for 5-10 minutes
Me: “Boys it is now 4:30 p.m. so you have relaxed on screens for about an hour. Please take a break when you get to a stopping point in your games.”
Them: no response for 45+ minutes
Me: I talk with my boss on the phone, switch a load of laundry, put in a new load of laundry, defrost chicken for dinner, and try to breath deeply through the stresses of my own stuff.
I make lists on paper. I try to get Medicaid certification online. Our state IT system for renewal is not cooperating. Or, am I not using it right? I make another 1-800 call and email the system for the 10th + time in the past three months. I also call my boss back two times to ask questions and let her know I’m working on the issue so we can both get paid for my speech services over the next year. It is now 5:20 p.m.
Quote designed by: Katie Carranza, Click above to link to an Article for New Moms.
Me calling the boys again this time yelling loudly: “Get off your screens boys! It is now 5:20. Do your homework (Bryan) and a chore (Addison). Your laundry needs to be put away boys. I wash and dry and fold. YOU put it away!”
Them: “Huff. Puff. Ugh. Okay.”
Addison: storms off to his room after ending his Zelda time
Bryan: “Mom, I’m so sorry. What do you need me to do? Homework. I have one page left and one problem on the front.” He gathers his stuff together and gets to work at the kitchen table. After I sit with him doing math homework he goes to his room and puts away his laundry in 5 minutes or less.
Addison returns with a bucket of dirty laundry. I asked if the other was put away. He said, “Yes, this is the new dirty stuff.” Mind you I just did all of his laundry on Monday. It is now Thursday and somehow he has a 3/4 full laundry basket?! What in the heck is going on here. Oh God help me. I love them. I love them. I love them. (in my head).
Dear God,
You are with us in ALL things and ALL moments.
Forgive us when we forget You in the midst of stress and frustration.
Help me re-center my thoughts and phrase my words with peace, love, and kindness.
Give me the energy for another day as a mom, wife, friend, maid, etc.
Amen.
Jennifer K Cook 
I love your stream-of-consciousness post. My goal for this month is to be better about visiting blogs I follow, like yours. I enjoyed this. I’m not a Mom. Never had the calling into it. I believe like you, that it is a calling, and not something to be entered lightly. Good for you!
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Thanks for visiting! I appreciate your comments. It is the only way we as writers really know if people read/hear our words. Glad you find encouragement/understanding about moms through me. We are all humans in navigating this interesting world! And perhaps it helps you understand your own mom better 😉
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Yes, motherhood is a calling. A valuable one. Thanks for the reminder. Blessings to you and yours! And, yes, let’s dare to tell the truth!
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