My Daughter's Diary Changed my Life!
It's been quite some time ago, maybe 6 months I had been praying to God for wisdom on how to raise and relate to my then 14 year old daughter. Trinity is her name. When she was born they thought that there was a slight possibility that she was at risk for Downs Syndrome. At the age of 12 she was diagnosed with scoliosis.
Despite, the obstacles this child is amazingly brilliant with a side of roll your eyes and a lot of sass all accentuated with beauty. She will pop a facial expression off at you in 1 hot minute, 😀😁😂😄😣😲😒😯😝😞 and then say, "What, I can't help it!"
Many of you know that it is sometimes extremely hard to relate to a hormonal teenager. If my memory is correct, I was an awful teenage daughter, in terms of expressing myself. I was MOODY and you'd better not talk to me. I was in my room most of the time.
So, I was cleaning Trinity's room one day and I saw her journal. This wasn't the first time I'd noticed it in it's place. I'd never picked it up to read it before that day or even been tempted too. Yet, something was on the front of that thing saying, "READ ME!!!" I couldn't resist. Please don't judge me, Momma! Smh!
After I did not submit to the process of resistance, I opened Trinity's journal and turned to a page. You will never guess what my little brilliant then 14 year old teenage daughter with a side of sass accentuated with beauty had the nerve to write. Honey, these words had my face looking like hers...😀😁😂😄😣🤔😲😒😯😝😞.
Anyways, here's what she took her little precious hand to write..."God please help my mom not to be the typical black mom that yells at me and always think that I'm doing something wrong."
Lord y'all, she told God that I was being typical and that I was black!😂😂😂 Well, He already knew that, He made me.
Regardless, of what she said, I immediately realized that I had to change. There was a little girl on the inside of her screaming for the Mother inside of me.
The sad part is that I wasn't yelling at her because I thought that she was doing anything wrong. I was just mad, tired, and frustrated because everyday I woke up to this dry place that kept me defeated. At that time, I did not know how to wake up in VICTORY!
Let me tell you though, reading that alone, delivered me from yelling not only at her but at my other 2 children as well. THAT WAS AN EYE OPENING SLAP IN THE FACE!
Regardless of who we are, there is always room to improve in our relationships with our children. Yes, parents we mess up sometimes, however, we can learn valuable lessons from our own and each other's mistakes.
Here are 3 things that I learned from this Life Encounter:
1. Life is hard, but I have to love on my kids harder.
2. Don't worry so much. Give my burdens to God. My kids don't need to always know my frustrations. They need security in me and to feel safe.
3. When I pick my kids up from school, I use to be so weighed down that I would demand silence in the car. I now say, "how was your day? " Oh and here's a SN: Sometimes, I even allow them to change my radio station.
What lesson have you learned about parenting from your brilliant, eye rolling, sassy, and beautiful teenager? I'd love to hear.
Until next time, I am Tiffany Logan and I love to encourage wives and mothers one story at a time!
Despite, the obstacles this child is amazingly brilliant with a side of roll your eyes and a lot of sass all accentuated with beauty. She will pop a facial expression off at you in 1 hot minute, 😀😁😂😄😣😲😒😯😝😞 and then say, "What, I can't help it!"
Many of you know that it is sometimes extremely hard to relate to a hormonal teenager. If my memory is correct, I was an awful teenage daughter, in terms of expressing myself. I was MOODY and you'd better not talk to me. I was in my room most of the time.
So, I was cleaning Trinity's room one day and I saw her journal. This wasn't the first time I'd noticed it in it's place. I'd never picked it up to read it before that day or even been tempted too. Yet, something was on the front of that thing saying, "READ ME!!!" I couldn't resist. Please don't judge me, Momma! Smh!
After I did not submit to the process of resistance, I opened Trinity's journal and turned to a page. You will never guess what my little brilliant then 14 year old teenage daughter with a side of sass accentuated with beauty had the nerve to write. Honey, these words had my face looking like hers...😀😁😂😄😣🤔😲😒😯😝😞.
Anyways, here's what she took her little precious hand to write..."God please help my mom not to be the typical black mom that yells at me and always think that I'm doing something wrong."
Lord y'all, she told God that I was being typical and that I was black!😂😂😂 Well, He already knew that, He made me.
Regardless, of what she said, I immediately realized that I had to change. There was a little girl on the inside of her screaming for the Mother inside of me.
The sad part is that I wasn't yelling at her because I thought that she was doing anything wrong. I was just mad, tired, and frustrated because everyday I woke up to this dry place that kept me defeated. At that time, I did not know how to wake up in VICTORY!
Let me tell you though, reading that alone, delivered me from yelling not only at her but at my other 2 children as well. THAT WAS AN EYE OPENING SLAP IN THE FACE!
Regardless of who we are, there is always room to improve in our relationships with our children. Yes, parents we mess up sometimes, however, we can learn valuable lessons from our own and each other's mistakes.
Here are 3 things that I learned from this Life Encounter:
1. Life is hard, but I have to love on my kids harder.
2. Don't worry so much. Give my burdens to God. My kids don't need to always know my frustrations. They need security in me and to feel safe.
3. When I pick my kids up from school, I use to be so weighed down that I would demand silence in the car. I now say, "how was your day? " Oh and here's a SN: Sometimes, I even allow them to change my radio station.
What lesson have you learned about parenting from your brilliant, eye rolling, sassy, and beautiful teenager? I'd love to hear.
Until next time, I am Tiffany Logan and I love to encourage wives and mothers one story at a time!
With Love
Wow. This is great!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing this. I now have a 13 year old teenager and I’m trying so hard not to be the typical black mother as well but most days I fail. But this really encouraged me. Kiesha Richardson
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