Strength and Kindliness

Living with Strength and Kindliness

What do children remember the most about adults?

Not unlike many other mothers in the world I am very often thinking about how much there is to do and how there is not enough time in the day to get everything done.  But when the end of the day comes and I cuddle my children and wrestle them for a kiss goodnight,  I realise that at the end of the day it doesn’t matter how much stuff I have got done, nor how much stuff I have not got done.  That’s not what matters at all.

What does matter is that I have been there for my kids. Because at the end of the day, my kids couldn’t care less how many loads of washing I have done, if the garden has been watered or if there is a layer of dust on the sill.  None of that will even cross their minds.

But they will remember ME.

My kindness, my empathy, my care and my concern.  They will remember that I took the time to listen to their (often very long and drawn out) stories. That I stopped to hold their hand or I comforted them when they were scared of the dark. They will remember how I laughed and how funny I thought I was whenever I told a joke.

A child will remember us because:

We are available.

We are kind.

We are compassionate.

We are transparent.

We are real.

We are thoughtful.

We are ourselves.

Each night my little girl asks me to tell her a story about when I was little.  She always seems to remember all the details. Each night I tell her something small, and it surprises me how nice it is to remember for myself, let alone for her.  And each time she remembers each of the details of the stories I tell, like it's from a real life book. In many ways she is a great medium to pull me away from the perceived busyness of my life.  She makes me stop each night and think about the important things that are in my memories, memories of the experiences that have formed me.

Children, of all ages, remember relationships.  It’s the human touch that matters over everything else.

And I think about it all the time.  Who my children will be tomorrow depends much on who and what I am for them today.

A Parent's Prayer

Loving God,


You are the giver of all we possess, 
the source of all of our blessings.
  We thank and praise you.

  Thank you for the gift of our children.

  Help us to set boundaries for them, and yet encourage them to explore.
 Give us the strength and courage to treat 
each day as a fresh start.

 May our children come to know you, the one true God,
 and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

 May your Holy Spirit help them to grow
 in faith, hope, and love,
 so they may know peace, truth and goodness.

 May their ears hear your voice.
 May their eyes see your presence in all things.
 May their lips proclaim your word.
 May their hearts be your dwelling place.
 May their hands do works of charity.
 May their feet walk in the way of Jesus Christ,
 your Son.


Amen

Kirrilee Westblade

Catholic Identity Leader

Have you read this Season's edition of Australian Catholics?  

https://www.australiancatholics.com.au/current/aust-catholic-magazine

Have your read the current edition of Diocesan newspaper Sandpiper?

https://www.sandhurst.catholic.org.au/sandpiper/latest/

The world really is a quirky place! Check this out!

A couple of years back Pope Francis received a very sweet visitor at the Vatican - a life-sized, chocolate replica of himself.  Made of 1.5 tons of cocoa, the chocolate pope was given to the pontiff as a gift during his general audience. The Chocolatier, Mirco della Vecchia, intends to donate another 1.5 tons of chocolate to Caritas Internationalis, so they can raise funds for much needed international aide work around the world.

( I wonder what Pope Francis was thinking!)