Search Results for: blog ongoing lessons in letting go

Are You Letting God Speak to You?

Did you read God’s Word this morning? Or was it a week ago, a month maybe longer since you opened the bible and allowed God to speak to you? Are you thankful each day for the great blessing of being able to read God’s Word? Do you realize what a privilege and joy it is to be able to do this? For many people in our world this is not the reality because they do not have a bible in their own language. In 2006, for the first time in South Eastern Mexico, 200,000 Huasteca Nahuatl (pronounced Was-te-ca Nah What-l) … Continue reading →

Ongoing Lessons in Letting Go

I have a few friends who are far more experienced parents than I am—they have already launched their children and I have a couple close friends who are fairly new grandparents. One of the things I have learned from these people as I have watched their children grow up and their parenting roles change is that we parents get multiple, ongoing lessons in letting go… Like bonding and attachment, there is NOT just one opportunity to get letting go right in the world of family life. As a matter of fact, it tends to be ongoing, perpetual and with a … Continue reading →

Expect a Few Practice Leaps Before Leaving the Nest

My own personal experience with leaving home has left me a little skewed. I may have mentioned before, but I turned 18, graduated a half-year early from high school, enrolled in college, rented my own apartment and moved out—all within about a week. Of course, I had been planning, budgeting and saving for nearly two years leading up to my emancipation but I did it boldly and never looked back. I think that since this was the way I did it, I assumed that everyone leaves the nest with such assuredness. The truth is, however, that most kids need to … Continue reading →

Clearing the Slate

Sometimes in life, there is nothing to do but start over. I believe that there are times in our experiences as parents when it becomes necessary to wipe the slate clean too and start over—whether it is with our children in some capacity or with our personal philosophies of parenting, there are times when we really need to just stop, clear the slate, and begin again… I have experienced the need to clear the slate with my kids and as a parent on several occasions—there have been those times when I felt betrayed or as if I just could not … Continue reading →

It can be Hard Not Knowing

Uncertainty can be one of the most stressful realities in so many aspects of life–whether it is a health issue, finances, or our home businesses–not knowing what the future holds can be unbearable for some of us and just plain scary for others. What can we do to settle ourselves and cope with the fact that no matter how much planning we do, there are going to be those times when we just don’t know what is coming around the corner? Think of it this way–is there any possible way that you can get to a place where you are … Continue reading →

What Can You Leave Behind?

Change, evolution, letting go–all topics that the single parent usually becomes quite familiar with. Many of us have been forced into a cycle of change or have been through some major crisis or trauma or life-altering event(s) leading to our role as a single parent. While we may have learned a thing or two about adjusting to new things and accepting change–there may still be some things, people, or ideas that we are clinging to that would be better off left behind… For me, part of what happens when I start to feel overwhelmed is that I am taking on … Continue reading →

Short Leash? Or Too Much Rope?

Surely you have heard the old addage that if you give people (kids) enough rope, they will hang themselves with it? I think many of us parents use this advice to keep our children on a very short leash–but is the short leash really the right way to go? Could there be a happy medium between too much and too little? There are a few things that can happen if we try to keep our kids on incredibly short leashes: they can rebel and tug against the rope, causing all sorts of power struggles and resentment; they might also give … Continue reading →

Separating Yourself from the Role of Parent Once in a While

I feel pretty comfortable with my maternal role and would definitely say that parenthood is a huge hunk of my identity and my purpose. HOWEVER, as single parents, we get locked into our parenting role as our only role. Sometimes, it is important to get away from the role of parent and try on some other sides of our identity… I wear my motherhood pretty obviously and with three kids and one single parent, a huge chunk of my time and life is taken up with parenting stuff. This has influenced how other people deal with me and they tend … Continue reading →