I love quiet, I invite silence, I love to be still, I can say no, and though life can sometimes demand it... I do not like every minute of each day to be scheduled. Being Home is my favorite place to be.
Savannah is a go-getter! She dreams big, she is a goal setter, hard worker, believes resolution can be found in most situations, does not mind extending herself to gain a wanted outcome.
Learning early on that Savannah would handle most situations in her life much differently than I would... I have made a concerted effort, in raising her, to allow her lots of wiggle room... she has earned it.The past few years have been a very strict focus for Savannah. She has an intense love for animals. Me? Did not grow up having pets, considered myself a non-animal person. I made it clear to her that her desires would need to be proven to me through incredible diligence.
I then got out of her way!!
Her biggest dream has been to own a horse. Horses are very expensive. I told her this financial obligation would be hers.
And so the past 3 years have involved work, work, and more work. No task was too small or too big... each task equaled one step closer.
Meanwhile, as her mom... I watched her intense focus. Managing school, church, seminary, weekly youth activities, youth conferences, Young Women's camps, sewing lessons, 2 jobs at the neighbors stables, 1 job in town, also working at her dad's office.
The question in the back of this mom's mind was... when do I blow the whistle? Do I step in and say when enough is enough? That incredible parenting balance of stepping back to let your child grow... stepping in when necessary... loving the many ways she is braver than me. Thankfully my faith in her and her decisions is yet again, not wasted!
In comes my daughter... 'mom? Can I talk something through with you?' She then begins to tell me that she has decided to re-evaluate the way she spends her time. With her goal of buying her own horse met, she has prayed about her many extra curricular activities and wants to omit.
Savannah has decided herself to stop her work at the stables. She is not needed at her dad's office now. She wants quite time on the farm to read, wants to focus more on school, and wants time to convince these 2 new horses of hers that they can fall completely in love with her.
Relief!
I can not express the feelings I had as I listened to Savannah analyzing her time, and asking herself whether that time was well spent. After all, are we not counseled to Be Still?! And here is my daughter finding that balance, finding that maturity that is such a joy for me to witness.
My hardest parenting moments are those when I must bite my lips. But my reward comes when my children prove they are capable of balancing all the good and needful things in their lives. We have been told often in the gospel, that the choice is not always between Good and BAD... but yet the choice is often between Good, Better, Best! Savannah has wisely chosen the Best.
"Home is an invention on which
9 comments:
I am impressed and inspired by both you and Savannah. This was a beautiful post. And one I needed. Thank you.
She is wise beyond her years...but then that's to be expected when she has YOU for her mother!
I hear you on the stepping back. It's hard but so worth it when you watch your children make the right decisions on their own.
Amen! to every word. I think Savannah is an impressive youth.
Love this post. Made me smile and ponder. And your daughther is certainly wonderful.
What a beautiful tribute to you and your daughter. She is blessed to have a mother like you who has instilled in her good values. Isn't it great when all your hard work starts to show itself by the choices your children make.
Thank you for the uplifting post.
Great post to keep me thinking. I am still in awe over her hard work and getting those horses. That is some true dedication.
I hope my girls turn out like Savannah!
It is hard finding that balance in Motherhood. You are doing a great job of it. Savannah is absolutely beautiful, inside and out!
Post a Comment