Friday, May 13, 2011

The Affirmation Project: Day 12

My Positive:  My parents taught me how to be a good person.

I had no idea I was getting lessons. I didn't know they were teaching me at all.  I thought we were building train layouts and camping and reminiscing and making dinners.  They were teaching lessons and wrapping them in a disguise.

As I try to teach my boys the qualities of being a good person, I realize I'm teaching them what my parents taught me.  They WAY they taught me.  I move the words in my head around to make the most simplest sense to the boys and when I open my mouth I only hear my mom's voice.  I sit my boys down to give them a quick lesson and hear myself talking in drawn out stories instead of sound bites, just like my Dad.  When I hear these things out of my mouth, I feel the warmth and teachings of my parents.

I know now how they loved me and how they thought best to teach me.  These wrapped presents made me the woman I am today.  I took their actions and words and grew into myself, a good person.

Thanks, Mom and Dad.

My Affirmation:  I will show my kids through my words and behavior, what it means to be a good person.

My friend Linda has a saying, "Say what you mean and mean what you say."  I never understood that, in fact, after she'd say it, I would repeat it in my head a couple times to try and make sense of it (she probably saw my lips move and the blank look on my face).  Even after the repetition, I never got it.

Until my boys came along. 

Teach with love and say what you mean, you can't go wrong with that.

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