Stronger

This was one rough Monday. I woke up angry. I have been angry at Oliver’s dad lately. I’m really really pissed at this arctic cold. I’m mad that my home is so dang cold, and I can’t stop the cold from coming in. Every time I plug a leak, another one shows up. I’m watching my dollars fly out the window. I’m angry that I can’t find anything even tho I spend so much time organizing. I’m angry that each day my home is a giant mess, even after I clean it up. I’m angry at no one and at everyone. It was just one of those mornings.

Deep breath. Let this stuff go... I told myself. Most days I do. I know I’m strong enough to handle these challenges.

I had a wonderful weekend with Oliver. He has been taking ice hockey on Saturdays, and afterwards we get to skate together. This weekend, we had a blast, twirling around the olympic-sized rink 3 times. Luckily I only fell once. He, on the other hand, fell probably close to 100 times, maybe more. I laughed and laughed and watched how beautifully and courageously he got back up, each and every time. “I’m so proud of how you get up each time you fall and try again. You don’t let falling stop you. Each time you fall and get back up, it only makes you better and stronger.” And then I let him pull me around the rink, allowing him to teach me how to skate. “You’re doing great!” he told me. “You’re getting better and better!”

Later that weekend, he told almost everyone he met that he was learning to skate. “Every time I fall, I get better and stronger.” he’d say.

Imagine my sweet and tender joy when I saw this ad.

Oliver was tucked under my shoulder watching it with me. When we got to the part where the mother takes off her crying little boy’s shirt, I started welling up. Oliver looked up at me, and with an easiness, wiped away my tears. “That’s you!” I said, kissing the top of his head several times. When the ad ended he said, “That’s the same thing you always tell me Mommy!” Oh my...

:)