My name is Bridget and I am a list maker.
I love thinking about what I need to do and which order is most efficient.
I love looking it over and knowing what comes next.
I love the moment when I can swish a big, dark line through each of my To Dos.
I really love lists.
And it would seem I have passed this trait on to at least one child.
As we were walking into church last night I noticed that Lydia had a notecard and pencil in her hand.
Hey! What’s that in your hand?
My card.
Your card for what?
My words.
What words?
Just all the things I’m good at.
(Translation:
Art. Songs. Write.
Read. Hide. Draw. Live.
Sleep. Play. Love. Ride. Learn.
Looking. Nose Wiggling. Swimming.
Joke Telling. Coloring. Baby playing.
Eating. Laughing.)
I absolutely adore this list.
Here’s my girl – my so-often quiet and shy girl – taking pride in her strengths.
At first I giggled that eating, sleeping, and living were listed as things she is good at.
But then I thought about my friends who struggle with anorexia or insomnia or depression,
and suddenly eating, sleeping, and living didn’t seem like such silly things to include.
Even these are things to be proud of, to celebrate.
As the evening wound down, I sat and thought about her list.
Then I decided to make a list of my own.
I started with those three things: Eating. Sleeping. Living.
But then I got stuck.
As a grown-up, it’s hard to list your strengths.
(I’ve always hated that question in interviews.)
But she did it so easily.
Even after I took this picture, she added more.
Her paper is filled to the max.
So I pushed on.
Slowly.
One word at a time.
Loving.
Laughing.
(I had to steal those two from her!)
Taking pictures.
Meal planning.
Crafting.
Simple sewing.
Parenting.
Encouraging.
Accepting.
Reading.
Writing.
Singing.
Honesty.
Kindness.
Cuddling.
Kissing uh-ohs.
Reading aloud.
Sharing.
Caring.
Texting.
Talking.
As I wrote my list, I struggled a few times.
What if someone reads it and rolls their eyes?
What if they laugh at me because I think I’m good at ___ but they know that I’m not?
What if ?? What if ?? What if ??
But what if I stopped worrying about it and just embraced my list like a 6 year old girl?
What if I wrote down my words and kept them with me and looked at them when I needed them?
What if I saved her card and gave it to her when she needed it most?
What if ?? What if ?? What if ??
***
What if you made a list?
What words would you include?
ok, you’ve inspired me (i know, yet again!) I’m going to make a list on my blog today!!
Love this, especially beginning with the first three. We take so much for granted, don’t we, and beat ourselves up sometimes for our shortcomings. I have a work file I keep of letters from students and parents telling me I’ve done a good job. I read it when I’ve had a particularly trying day or conference. Perhaps I need to add a letter from myself to it, and include a list like this!
Nose wiggling – love this one especially!
Please add “inspiring other Moms” to your list. You are so, so good at this.
xoxo
Lydia is a wonderful and loving child. I love her list but would add on one more ‘good thinker’
Love this. And you must absolutely save this list for her when she most needs it. (And yours, for yourself!)