Glimpses

This week I have been thinking about how little credit moms give themselves. Not just for the everyday things that we do, but for the areas of strength and improvement, especially for those who are in the Postpartum period and are struggling with mood issues. When you are in that dark place and then in the period of coming out of it, it seems that all you want to do is get fully well, feel back to yourself, regain your physical and emotional health, reclaim your identity and move on. However, I believe in order to fully move on that a cognizant effort needs to be made to recognize the glimpses of health as they appear and the small victories that lie within those glimpses.

For example, on Monday our nanny came to our home early in the morning. She hadn't been there since Thursday, so it had been a long 3 days for L. since he had seen her. When she came in the side door, he was excited. I was holding him and he reached out his arms and stretched for her to hold him. I could have easily been annoyed or hurt that at that moment he preferred to be held by her rather than me. However, I decided to praise God for the blessing of a nanny whom my son not only likes and who not only cares for my child extraordinarily well, but whom my child misses when he does not see her. Knowing how blessed I am to have excellent childcare, I opted to be ever so grateful and to smile as L. smiled and enjoy the moment with him.

Of course, it is easier for me to focus on the positive since I am almost 13 months postpartum and am really feeling good generally. But recognize dear friends, that no matter where in your journey you are, whether you are in a deep dark postpartum place or whether you are in a particularly good place in your life, that you make the choice of how to interpret each minute moment and situation that crosses your path. Choose at least once today to be grateful, even if the immediate response is otherwise. You will be blessed by your choice, I promise.

Living in God's amazing grace,
A.