Struggles, Challenges, and Grace

Your Daily Dose of Sunshine - Today’s Inspiration:

• Hamilton

• Momming HARD

• Six hours and only 21% done

HAMILTON

Last night we watched the first part of Hamilton, until it got too late - for the first time with one of my sons - and for the umpteenth time for me. I’ll sing the whole soundtrack at the top of my lungs on a long drive. This is one of the most amazing musicals I’ve ever seen in my life.

Here’s the catch, my 19yo wanted to debate why overthrowing the government was no longer an option, and that scared me to death. It turned into a heated conversation, with me begging off even discussing such a thing. He didn’t understand how I could love this show so much and not be interested in implementing it in real time.

Teenagers, man!

Of course, he’s in no position, he just likes to debate and stir up emotions sometimes.

Momming HARD

Luckily, we have worked hard to instill the idea of not going to bed angry in our family, so things got calmed down. I was ready to just call it quits so things didn’t escalate, and he was the one who reminded me that we needed to talk it out until we could get to the point where we were back to a place of speaking from the heart.

Oh, I just noticed - in this picture I’m wearing the heart necklace he made for me as his first piece of liquid metal from the foundry he built. He melted metal and poured it into a mold he’d made and inscribed it with MoM using a font from one of us favorite metal bands. My heart, you guys. This guy has it, and always will. He can be such a tough guy, and then say one sweet thing, and I cave. I’m a giant marshmallow when it comes to him.

I guess I’m reflecting this morning on some of the hard times we’ve had with him, and yet so much joy and connection that has happened as well. Like any relationship, or opportunity, or challenge - there is hard work involved. There are false starts, two steps forward and three steps back , there is sacrifice and a lot of prayer.

Six hours in and only 21% done

My licensing test is in less than ten days and I’m six hours in and only 21% done with all the learning, studying, and pre-tests before the exam. So, I don’t have a lot of time for pondering the deep and beautiful questions these days.

But having family around for a dinner and movie, spending time remembering how much fun my boys can be as well as how much work it is to maintain some semblance of order and calm in a house of high-strung, creative, imaginative, and challenging teenagers - well, that’s what I’ve got today.

Being a mom has got to be the best job I’ve ever had in my life. The one I was least prepared for EVER. The one I’ve had the privilege of learning as I go. The one that requires grace and leveling up on the constant. The one that has brought me the most joy and growth and memories along the way.

Bless you for being here, and for whatever your journey is teaching you today, whether you are in the weeds or on the mountaintop or somewhere in the middle. May you embrace your day!