Forgiveness and new motherhood

Dear Readers, It's a rainy Monday evening and I find myself sitting alone at a coffee shop with a fresh cup of coffee and my laptop. I felt like I could barely put two words together today and wanted to finish this blog so here I am. Evangeline is at home with her dad, so I escaped for a bit to enjoy some "me" time. As a newer stay-at-home mom (SAHM), I'm finding that if there's any time that can be dictated by me, especially away from the house, I take it. Nick, my husband gets it and welcomes the opportunity to spend more time with his daughter. Have I mentioned recently how important it is to have a good partner? I recently joined my friend at a Sunday morning church service. It's been a while and I was curious to see if it would be a fit. Evangeline was welcomed with open arms too, since we're a package deal. I went with an open mind and open heart.

The theme of that day's message was "Forgiveness." What does it mean, what does it not mean and why do we often feel "prickly" inside when we think about it? Rachel's message stuck with me after I went home and returned to the daily routines with a six-month-old. I think that's the point of these teachings, right? To apply them to the messiness of our daily lives. When would I ever need forgiveness from my baby, or when would I need to forgive her? They are born perfect and develop flaws as they grow. As adults, we are imperfect. At this time in her life, she is dependent on us for everything. However, it got me thinking about the future and the kid/teenager/young adult/adult she will become.

Evangeline is her own person and will develop her own set of curiosities, quirks, tastes, desires and dislikes. Some may mirror ours and I hope many are different too. Both her dad and I feel it's important to support her growth and independence as she navigates this strange and complex world. Practicing forgiveness (on both sides) will certainly become necessary as she inches toward her middle school years. Middle school. What I learned from that lesson with Rachel is it's never too early, or too late for us to start practicing forgiveness and they're never too old or too young to receive it.