Resiliency

One thing I have always admired about children is that they have an inner strength that is remarkable.  As we have faced some situations that we would rather not deal with, our kids have grown and overcome many difficulties with a great enthusiasm which has helped them overcome the sadness they have felt.  They battle daily with the negativity of media, peers and others,  but they manage to enjoy life.  They are dealing with some hardships that I would never want anyone to have to deal with.  They have been my strength and have a way of keeping me on my toes, not only physically...but also mentally and spiritually.  They remind me daily of my individual worth and they also remind me,  that whatever my choices may be will be an influence for them,  especially when it comes to parenting. They remind me that the way I deal with certain situations matters.  When they are grown and able to take care of their own families,  the manner in which I had approached each hardship or trial and each teaching moment with them MATTER.  As parents our individual abilities to be resilient when life is hard will have ultimately influence on our children's abilities to overcome their own hardships and test their resiliency as adults.  They ultimately will be the ones who will benefit from having parents who are resilient and strong.  The heroes that they see on cartoons or movies will never compare to their own parents.  I hope to be an exemplar of strength and faith for them to follow so that when difficult times come, they will be amazingly resilient.