gearing, part two — Bonnie Landry

A continuation of this:

Bullet point #3. Forgetting. Forgetting is real. I forget approximately every day. Not only do I forget why I'm homeschooling, I forget (fairly regularly) why I brought children into the world.

Fortunately, most of the time, the forgetting is short, I remember why and move forward to being a kinder human.But not always. Sometimes the forgetting can be for longer periods of time, where I can wallow in self-pity and only feel like all the choices and events of my life leave me feeling like a victim.

Like all areas of growth - remembering is the hard part. Instead of trying NOT to forget, we can focus on remembering. If we slow the flurry of the morning routine, and take a moment, just a small minute to consider what our life is all about, (hint: loving the people) we are more likely to succeed in remembering.

Write it down. Look at the writing. Every single day. Carve out the thirty seconds to look at what you wrote. Don't lose it. The note to self, I mean. Pin it by your bed or mirror or somewhere you frequent in the morning. Take a moment to look at the writing. Maybe it says, "Remember to love the people today." Or, "I am awesome." Or, "Patience is a virtue." Or some other words that help you remember. Maybe you write yourself a note every night. Maybe it's an admonition and maybe it's a love note to yourself. Maybe it's a little prayer that you can say the next morning.

"Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, (and also, BTW, to yourselves) talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates..."

PART THREE OF THIS SERIES AND PART FOUR