To be gentle and live a gentle life...it's easier said than done. I do aspire to it everyday. I am in the whirlwind of raising my children and taking them to different places at different times. It can be exhausting. However, my children range in age from 9-16 and they are such good children. I am so blessed. You hear people discussing how they are going to dread their children turning into teenagers. I will tell anyone that I simply love this stage of life. It's a joy to have conversations and talks about the future without having to deal with bad behavior all the time.
What does living gently mean to me? Hmmmm. I would have to say it connects me to the past. I love to quilt and can and cook and garden. It's a simple way of life. Not many women do these things any more. I also am teaching my daughters these things-it keeps these ways alive. I am striving to be more gentle in spirit--I can tend to be a bit feisty, especially when you put me behind the wheel of a car, hahahaha! There's no perfection around here, believe me! I still have lots of areas to work on, but the point is, I am striving to better myself and my surroundings. I am a lifelong learner and I want to continue to learn new (or old) skills. Does that mean we live like pilgrims??? Absolutely not. My children are educated and learn all the new technology through computer classes...they HAVE to be able to thrive and soar in the times they live in. We use technology to our benefit and are not slaves to it.
So what do I pass on to my son? I'm sure you've read about the embroidering that goes on around here. Well, my son is extremely artistic and he is ALL boy. Boys are so much different than girls. I read a line in Dr. Dobson's book Raising Up Boys that I will never forget..."Mothers raise boys. Fathers raise men." Doesn't that line give you chills? It is so vital for a boy to have a close relationship with his father. Fortunately, we have that in our family. In fact, tomorrow my son and husband go to hunter safety class. My son will get his certificate and will be able to hunt for the first time this year (he's been hunting before; he wasn't allowed to shoot anything). We will get him his very own rifle for his birthday and then he can be a part of providing food for our family. He is very respectful to me...any time he sees an opportunity, he asks if I need help. He does his chores and he is constantly drawing or making amazing creations out of paper or cardboard. Since all my children were little, I have always encouraged creativity and supplied them with every sort of crafting notion they could use. It's their imaginations that spark it all and I simply love to see their creations. I would be remiss if I didn't mention our love for books. ( I could do a whole post on that one! )
Gentle living--a connection to the past, simplicity, creativity, a deep and abiding respect and love for one another as we live our lives. Does it mean perfection? No. We are works in progress. But we do it all together.
What does gentle living mean to you? I hope you make headway into your gentle life...I'm about to go *tackle* mine for the day, haha! Blessings to you!
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