Acceptance

Being accepted for who we are can be a powerful, if not the most powerful gift.

I fall short so often…

My afternoon job is a few hours long in Developmental Kindergarten.  A small class of kids with limited attention, speech & language, and learning issues…it is a bit like organized chaos.  They need predictable structure.  The jury system decided they needed their teacher now, for two or more weeks…and so the class has been even more chaotic like lighting a sparkler on both ends.  The 12 kids are on about 12 different ability levels as well…  Keeping them learning, keeping the structure, keeping the chaos to a dull roar has been a group effort and the other teachers and aides who work with this class are doing an exceptional job…but it is still crazy.  I find myself daily pulling from my mother’s bag of tricks.  She was a woman who could keep kids busy with the simplest of things and I am grateful.  Yesterday’s simple math dot-to-do turned into coloring the lady bug, then cutting it out, then learning to add legs and lots of folding…time filling and productive…happy kids who liked what they were doing and happy with their result, a win-win and I was feeling capable.Ten minutes later I was head-butted by an angry 6-year-old, because it was time to go home…this kid has a big powerful head and I struggle with working with him and it hurts…and it put me in a funk.  I do know about loving the sinner, not the sin, but I guess I need more practice and believe me I am getting it.

Still…I was in a funk.  In my funk I almost did not go to the place I most needed to be to get out of my funk…quilting.  Not just for sewing, but for being me…accepted by the other gals…for catching up and chatting and encouragement…and I felt better…

Acceptance…a powerful gift.

We (me, My Loving Spouse and all our kids) have been so accepted by the family Number One Son married into. We gained a family and are richer for it.  Grandma D. was a huge supporter of Glory Farm and gave me powerful words…’take care of yourself’, ‘I’m praying for you’…’I love you’.

With her family by her side, she was called ‘home’ today…

I want to honor her…and her family…her willingness to live life

but most of all for her gift for loving and accepting us as we are.