Generations of kindness, from the woman who taught me.

To the woman who taught me...

To be a mother.
To be strong.
To be brave.
To love.
To give grace.
To be kind.
To see with my heart...

Without you... I wouldn't be ME.

As a mother of 4 small children, while homeschooling and taking each day as it comes, my main goal to is make each one of my kids feel loved, cherished, and somehow encourage their character throughout the hours of the day. Sometimes it is a breeze, and other days it seems to be a little more difficult. Is there a woman in your life who you can thank for teaching you these things? Maybe a grandma, an aunt, a best friend or your mom? As Mother's Day is coming in the month of May, we must not forget those who have inspired us to be the mother that we are.

I have an appointment at 2:30pm every six weeks to meet with my oldest daughter’s 1st grade teacher. I proudly hold my daughter’s hand on my right while on my left I juggle a heavy carrying case filled with books and all of the homeschool work that she has completed. Opening the glass doors and entering the 1st grade classroom I can see that it is filled with beautiful art and handwritten poems displayed on the walls for all to see. There are lots of bright colors everywhere and the room seems to be a place where every child would want to be to enjoy their day while learning new concepts.

As we sit down across from my daughter’s tender-hearted teacher, my daughter proudly shows every piece of homework that she completed for each school subject. We laugh, talk, and encourage each other as teachers. As our meeting draws to a close, she mentions to me that my daughter had her feelings hurt by one of her classmates at school. She explains how she was able to work it out with the two girls, and she looks into my eyes to tell me how proud she is of my little girl who was so kind throughout the incident, despite her feelings being hurt. I thanked her and rubbed my daughter’s back, joy filling inside of me. With a big smile, I replied, “My daughter shared everything with me and I encouraged her to love extra hard on her friend, even though she is having a hard time and isn't feeling the kindness back." The teacher responds to my daughter, "You have a good mom!" My daughter replies happily, "My mom gets it from my grandma. Everything my mom knows, she was taught by my grandma." I giggle and tell her it's the truth. We leave the colorful classroom with happy hearts, feeling refreshed and this Mama knowing that her daughter sees a generation of kindness being passed down. What a true gift! Showing kindness each day to your child will ensure that it will be passed on day after day, year after year, and soon generation after generation. Make the both the good and the hard days count every single day by showing kindness and building up those around you.