I’m resting and trying to beat a case of Strep Throat
antibiotic free (I’m on the mend I hope but I’ll still take suggestions) but I
can hear the girls climbing up the banister as Dan tells them just how high
they can attempt today.
My daughters like to test the boundaries and
explore their strength. I never expected to have the children on the playground
that other parents said, “well maybe she is doing that but you can’t.” I’m
still not sure how I feel about it but I am that mother.
I’ve been given polite lectures on my eighteen month old
climbing the ladder or had concerned individuals step in to admonish my
children on safety. I let my girls
adventure. No, that’s not quite right, I encourage them to adventure.
Faces are meant to get dirty, toes meant to be muddy, and
jeans meant to have holes. Now, I like to think that I am conscious of their
well-being and I set boundaries for things that I feel are truly unsafe. I just might see what is unsafe differently
than others.
Will they learn from the possible hurt or would it cause
serious injury? There has to be a balance. We wear bike helmets but they climb
trees. They play in the ocean without a
life jacket but I stay close by. They set the table with glassware but don’t
cut with a sharp knife.
I want those three girls of mine to see the possibility in
adventure even while being aware of their limits. I want them to learn to be
brave even within their limitations. The truth is that I have many dreams for
the women that my daughters will become; I long to encourage them to live
justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly in unity with the One who created.
For them to live in that way will require courage and boldness. I don’t pretend
to have any idea how that will look for any of them. I only believe that in the same way through
daily life that I am giving them tools to communicate graciously and patiently
or encouraging a kind and nurturing spirit, by standing back and letting them
climb, run, and jump, I am allowing them to find the strength that lies within.
