As a followup to my first “flowers and words” entry from several days ago, I’ll begin by sharing another of the flowers that has bloomed in my back yard recently.
And continue with a phrase I read earlier today:
“When the tension ceases, so does life.”
So simple, yet so profound. I hope those of you who are in the throes of the most difficult parenting days can draw solace from that. I know I have.
Yesterday, my oldest daughter and I were not in harmony. The tension escalated until we were forced to go our separate ways for a while. Later, we came together again, and our day ended peacefully as we sorted through items in our neighbor’s garage for the big sale tomorrow. It was difficult, but I persisted through our little storm with as much grace as I could muster, refusing to give in to the drama but also being adamant about my love for her. It was, in my mind, a successful day, but one that included plenty of tension. However, sometimes we must work through tension in order to learn what we’re here to learn. If we run from it, if we will it away, we’ll never grow. My daughter and I grew yesterday because of the tension that presented itself. That’s why reading those words this morning was so impactful to me. Knowing that tension is a part of life and accepting that as a gift can make a huge difference. That doesn’t make it easier at times to move through it with courage. That’s part of the suffering we must do on this earth in our walk toward sanctity. But knowing tension can lead to a meaningful end is a wonderful, hope-filled thought that I am going to focus on today.
With that in mind, I’ll end with another of my friend Karla’s “domestic verbal splashes.” This one seems particular appropriate as we head into the weekend.
I hope you will!
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