My mom was over tonight & I got these pictures of her with Ruby. I am loving how Ruby has started being so interested in everything going on around her. She loves to look at people when they hold her.
Having a daughter of my own has made me think a lot about how to be the best parent that I can be. How do I teach her how to be a strong woman who knows who she is & is kind to others? How do I teach her how amazing her relationship with God can be & how to live a life that she can always be proud of? How do I teach her that she can tell me anything, good or bad, & I'll always be there for her? How do I teach her to love books & good music? How do I teach her to be honest especially when it's inconvenient? How do I teach her to laugh at herself & not take life too seriously? How do I teach her to get an education so that she can be independent & confident in her abilities? How do I teach her to forgive & love life? How do I teach her to get through the hard times & find happiness in the small things? I wish my mom could tell me exactly how she taught me those things but the more I think about it the more I realize that even though she told me those things all the time she also showed them to me. As I struggled with going through hard times in my life I thought about what my mom did when life was hard. And I remember that she always kept going & her faith was always solid. She taught me to pick up the pieces when life seems to fall apart & that it's okay that other people know that you're having a hard time. She taught me that we don't have to be perfect, because who likes a perfect person anyway? She has always been honest & real & my ideal mom. We were never allowed to indulge in self-pity or feel sorry for ourselves for more than just a little bit. She taught me everything I should be by just being it herself. I'm so grateful for my good mama & for her example that teaches me that I've got a lot of work to do. This parenting stuff isn't for sissies.
