Struggles and Snuggles
Dear Kristen,
 You are in
Caribou right now with Grandma and Grandpa. I’ve savored the quiet time
that’s been so rare since your birth, but I miss you. We struggle a lot,
you and I. We argue far more than I would have ever imagined possible, when I
first held you in my arms not so long ago. How stubborn we both can be, and
you, my golden eyed beauty, possess such a mighty will! All too often my
frustration gets the best of me when we’re playing emotional tug-of-war.
Sometimes I just want to let go and watch you fall backwards, propelled by your
own obstinate weight. I get so angry and discouraged!
During my finer moments, (they don’t seem to come as
often as they used to) I’m able to recognize the strength of character
that I’ve typically mistaken for hard- headedness. At these rare times, I
can appreciate how well your sense of conviction has, and will continue to
serve you. Have I told you lately that I admire you? I want to spend less time
struggling to control and more time simply savoring you – all of you
– the bitter and the sweet.
I recall a story about an unhappy young girl who went to
a wise woman and cried, "with all the pain in the world, the sadness, and
the hatred, why doesn’t God send help!!!" The woman smiled gently,
caressed the child’s cheek, and replied, "God did little one. He sent
you."
I love that story. It reminds me of how helpless and
insignificant so many of us were made to feel as children. The truth is that we
each have enormous importance and worth. Every one of us is born with a unique
gift to bring to the world. It’s then up to us to choose whether or not to
offer it.
How much harder it must be for children to recognize
their gifts when they’re so often confronted with what they should not,
better not, and cannot do. You’ve already received far too many messages
about limitations from me. I want to present you with a universe of
possibilities, and remind you that your life is as significant as any life has
been or will ever be…
Love, Mom
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