Day Eight- Overwhelmed and Tired

Being overwhelmed makes life difficult.    It also makes finding the time to practice our faith a frustrating situation.
   How can we take the time to pray or meditate or just simply practice our faith when we're swamped with a hundred million things?
   Yet, if we don't take the time and make the effort to find our spiritual side, then what are we losing?
   We have to have morals, values, and ideas that we live by. That we practice day in and day out.
   That we teach our children.
   I'm disturbed by the amount of lying, stealing, and cheating that happens in schools, even good schools.
   I don't tolerate lying from my children. And when they've done wrong, I make them apologize, or clean up their mess or fix what they have broken.
   It's teaching honesty and courage to your children when you make them step up and take responsibility for their actions.


   Bean knows all about having to apologize. A few weeks ago she had a slight lost of her manners with the principal.
    She was helping me in the office with PTO stuff. I had pulled her out of school half an hour early because her class had finished their Starbase graduation before the day was done and we were waiting on Abu. The principal, who I think is awesome, had just finished making the end of day announcements and was still sitting by the school intercom system. We were chatting and everything was going well until Bean forgot her manners.
    "Can you do something?" She asks Mr. H.
    He smiles and nods.
    "Can you tell Abu to get her butt down here now?"
    The entire, busy office went silent. Everyone was focused on me and Bean and I was desperately wishing that I could freeze time and escape.
    "How should you say that?" He asks, luckily not too mad but irritated that she was rude and demanding.
    She frowns, "Can you tell Abu to get her butt down here now, please?"
    At this point I was sure that everyone in the school would think that my child lacked any manners. Or that she regularly speaks like this. (She doesn't.)

   "You want to try again?" He's surprisingly patient and I think it's only because Bean has been student of the year every year she has been there.
    "I think she forgot she's not at home. Bean, try again, like at school." I step in, hoping that the help will remind Bean that she's in school and speaking to the principal.

    Suddenly light dawns on her face and then her eyes grow wide as saucers and her mouth makes a perfect 'O' before she grimaces, finally realizing her huge blunder.
    "Can you ask Abu to come to the office, please?" she asks in her politest tone of voice.
     Mr. H nods and calls Abu down to the office. One of the teachers, who heard the entire exchange, tells me I should use a spanking stick on Bean and I'm just wishing we could hurry and go home. But there's something Bean needs to do.
     Once Abu arrives, we go outside and find Mr. H.
    "Bean, you need to apologize for the way you spoke." I whispered in her ear, gesturing towards the principal.
    She grimaces again and her chest heaves with a huge sigh. She closes her eyes for a moment and then nods. It takes a bit of courage on her part but she walks over to Mr. H and waits for his attention.
   When she has it, her voice is strong and clear and sincere. "I'm sorry I said it like that."
    He nods, patting her on the back. "It's okay. I think your Mom was right, you just forgot where you were. It's alright now."
    A simple apology but worth so much more in the long run.

 
    I wish the parents of politicians have taken more time to teach morals and values to their children. And perhaps they did but once some one's voted into office- absolute power corrupts absolutely. I'm not sure why they're so corrupted but I do know they're cowardly. Because it takes courage to stand up for what is right.


    Bean has had things stolen from her at school. Right out of her desk, in elementary school. Two years ago I had my mountain bike stolen right out of my backyard. And I live in a decent neighborhood.
   Did our entire culture become so busy that we forgot our humanity?
   I may not agree with all the ideas of the Amish but I do admire how much effort they put into living their ideals. They still help each other out when times are tough, they work hard and they take time for their faith.
   And perhaps that is how we find faith. We don't just search for it a couple of times a year around Easter or Christmas. But we simply live it. Kind of like the Amish but without the strict rules of no electricity or shunning people who struggle with their faith.

  We should place our faith in the center of our lives and teach our children about honesty, sincerity, helping others, having courage to do the right thing, by example. Too many parents lie, steal, and don't help others. What do their children learn?


    How simple of a concept but so difficult too. We're not always going to succeed but we should try.
   But it's a good thing humans aren't supposed to be perfect because I would be in trouble if they were.

   Today I lost patience with Abu. Her frustrating day of recently put in orthodontic equipment, lost hats, fights with Bean and forgetting to do her homework...
   became my frustrating day. And when I could have handled things with more patience and firmness...
   I yelled instead.


  It's a good think that part of finding faith is realizing the importance of forgiveness. For ourselves.
  For other people.


  This faith thing is complicated and trying to find it is quite the interesting journey. All in the month of December. The second busiest month of the year for my family.


  Still, when we feel like we're fumbling then we need to take the time to catch ourselves, or we land flat on our faces.
   We need to help catch each other. Because sometimes a kind word or gesture is all a person needs to keep from losing faith.


  So for all my readers out there, I say a little prayer for you and your families, because I know how difficult life can be sometimes. :)