I have a friend, a homeschooling mom, who is amazing at playing with her children. At making little crafts with them, at kicking around the soccer ball or planting bean plants or digging alongside them in the sandbox. She’s so good at explaining things to her kids and at being patient with them. She is a natural at making little teaching moments out of everything.
I have another friend who has the most lovely home…so beautifully and tastefully and effortlessly decorated. She’s not a millionaire, but she just knows how to do a lot with what she’s got. She has the prettiest little hospitality touches everywhere. Her paint color choices are perfect. Her Pinterest do-it-yourself antiqued picture frame wall hangings are beautiful. I always make a trip to the bathroom at her house because she keeps this special hand lotion and soap for guests that smells divine. Her home is not always perfect (she has little ones like me), but somehow you can tell that in her house, things have their place–but nobody in the house gets too upset if those things don’t make it back to their homes for a little while. I love that she keeps a little order and peace at the same time.
I have another friend who has a heart for celebrating the liturgical calendar with her family. She has called me up numerous times with a sweet greeting and congratulations for one of my kids’ baptism anniversaries, or their saint name feast day (which I’ve usually marked in a fit of I’m-go-to-make-a-big-deal-out-of-that-day zeal a couple of months before, but quite forgotten the day-of). My friend really makes it a point to teach her children to learn and to love their faith, in part, through exploring the rich offerings of their religion in their everyday life.
I have another friend who is a fellow blogger. Her writing is beautiful, well-worded, and impeccably spell-checked.:) She has lots of readers and blesses so many people with her posts. She keeps up a blogging schedule that I envy for its consistency and consistently high-quality content. All of this she does while being Mom to two children under three, and another little one on the way.
I could go on and on. I know so many amazing women (and men) with wonderful gifts that I admire!
I’ve been thinking lately how freeing and helpful it would be if I stopped letting myself be just-a-little-jealous instead of joyful when–well–when other people are good at things that I wish I were good at and totally aspire to be good at but just am not good at yet or honestly maybe will never be good at.
(Maybe my dear bloggy friend who has the impeccable grammar can help me figure out what kind of run-on-stream-of-consciousness sentence I just constructed above.:)
I’m so happy for the community of people God has put into my life over the years, especially the “mommy friends” with whom I am so blessed to walk through young marriage and parenthood.
Here’s to thankfulness, to recognizing the special gifts of my friends, picking up tips from those gifts when I can:), and not letting my natural admiration and delight in them get twisted into discouragement or jealousy by You Know Who.
I think you mean "You Know Whom"… 😉
In all sincerity, though, this is an awesome post discussing a struggle so many women have. I saw this published and sighed in complete understanding. It's terribly easy for me to fall into jealousy instead of true joy for another's blessing. Thank you for this good reminder!!
You have amazingly impeccable grammar, you know. I should take some tips from you! 🙂
Oops, that was me ^^
Lovely, lovely post!!! I often feel this way about many of my friends also. You put my sentiment into words so clearly, it's as if I wrote them (only you write better ;)!
Thanks for this. I really think I needed it!
God bless, Erin.
You're so sweet! Thank you. I feel like an almost-new woman since I wrote this post..freed from feeling bad about myself too much. And more free to pick up tips from my friends instead of being a little jealous of them:)