Rebekah and I have decided to adopt a “theme word” for
home-schooling this year: INSPIRATION: “the
process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, esp. to do
something creative.” We anticipate many conversations, writing and
art projects embracing how we are inspired (by what and who), as well as how we
may inspire others…
I
was reminded this evening of a powerful source of inspiration in my life when I
was very young. I have struggled
throughout the years as I have been asked to share my past with friends,
women’s groups, mentoring/coaching relationships because I want to acknowledge
where I have come from (maintaining integrity and balance as I share the trials
I’ve overcome and keeping in mind my perspective has matured over the years). Sharing past wounds, in my opinion, should be
an authentic experience…sometimes this may manifest in a very “raw” manner;
however, being able to acknowledge those who may have negatively impacted some
of those chapters in my life and still honor their positive qualities has been,
in deed, a tender balance of sharing truth.
Some
of you know parts of my life story; others may be shocked because the “secrets”
were so well hidden. Right now I want to
focus on a very positive person in my younger years (who probably never knew how
much she impacted my life). My mom made choices
in life that I would say had very negative effects upon our family. Due to some of these choices and my very
“harsh” reality growing up in our home, I grew to view my mom as a weak woman
(again, please keep in mind that this perspective has evolved and matured over
the years). I didn’t consciously realize
that I was looking for strong, women role models—but I was.
When
I was quite young (preschool to early elementary age), we were fairly close to
a family we knew at church. I admired
the family: the mom and dad were married
(not divorced); the two daughters seemed happy, loved, and well provided
for. The mom was a leader in the Sunday
school program, which I attended for a few years and she was instrumental in
organizing our school ski-program. When
I was in the third grade, I was “gifted” to participate in the ski program and
years later found out it was this particular mom who reached out and organized
this gift that I would never have been able to participate in if it hadn’t been
for her. I also came to realize that she
was the person who made sure my family had Christmas care packages several
years when I was quite young (we would have had so much less at Christmas had
it not been for those care packages).
After
my family moved to a neighboring town, we were not as “close” to this
family. Yet, a few years later, we were
periodically “reunited” due to the oldest daughter attending my school and we were
in the same grade. By that time, the mom
had been voted onto our local school board.
I was a far cry from being in the “popular” crowd throughout those years
(grades 7-12) but I was a good student and was quite active in academic and civic-type
clubs. My world would intersect with
this mom at board meetings when I would help with presentations or at various
school functions. I often felt “moved”
when I was in her presence but I was much too young and, at that time in life,
too wounded to be able to identify what was happening. By the end of high school, I recognized this
“movement” within my spirit as INSPIRATION!
I had grown up watching this mom and listening to her speak up for what
she believed was right. In my eyes, she
was an extremely strong and courageous woman—a role model I so needed!
I
remember walking across the stage at high school graduation (way back in 1990)
This mom reached out to shake my hand, give me the diploma, and then she hugged
me while whispering in my ear, “I am so very proud of you, Debbie…I just know
you will be a success in life!” I cannot
tell you how much her words resonated in my spirit and it was probably the
first time I really felt believed in!!!
Her actions and words helped send me on a positive trajectory in life
that I might not have been as apt to journey if it hadn’t been for her
INSPIRATION and footprints upon my heart.
This
mom I speak of died quite a few years ago.
I hadn’t seen her in years, but remember the grief I experienced when
I’d heard of her death. By that time in
my life, I had made enough positive choices that I was well on my way to being
a strong woman (at least in my opinion).
I remember reflecting upon what she had meant to me-- desiring to hold
on to her INSPIRATION in my life.
Today,
I saw a post from her oldest daughter.
And again there was a flood of memories and emotions of the past and how
her mom so powerfully impacted my life!
My friend’s post (regarding an old picture of a school board election
sign with her mom’s name on it) stated, “It reminds me that you CAN change the system.
But you have to step up and not be intimidated.”
I
look around at my life and hope that Vivian would be proud! I have learned to speak and act for truth
(and not be intimidated). I have learned
to be confident and strong even though the odds of my youth were so heavily
stacked against me! Thank you, Vivian,
for being such a positive and strong role model in my life-thank you for being
such a powerful INSPIRATION!
My
encouragement to you is never under estimate who may be watching you (up close
or from a distance). Your choices,
actions, and words can be used as a vessel to help someone along life’s journey
in a very positive direction. You may
never know, this side of eternity, the impact you’ve had on those around you. As we begin this new year of 2013, I hope you
are reminded of sources of inspiration in your life and are challenged to
profoundly INSPIRE others!
“We remember before our God and Father
your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired
by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 1:2-4
No comments:
Post a Comment