Flying Through the Air with the Greatest of Ease

Many ducks to be kept in a row!
The Holiday season seemed to go off with a bang, like being shot out of a cannon.

Flying through the air at mock 10 trying to get projects done, collect for classroom parent and Catholic Charities family, juggle 4 boys playing basketball, decorating the tree and attempting to fill the house with cheer. Actually, it has been wonderful! Busy yes, but I am grateful to be able to work hard, to help when and where I can and to treat the Holiday season as a chance to get a little better at efficiency.

That said the blaring concern for me is making time for prayer. Making time for deep breaths and showing the children how powerful humility and grace can be in the midst of busy life. Seeing kids win and loose games, getting C and A+ work often happens at exactly the same time. I need to modulate my response, my encouragement, my firm resolve for trying harder and my praise for a job well done.

In church this week we talked about St Andrew being known for walking the talk, showing faith through his actions. As we get into a political time of year I worry about anger and judgment clouding people's ability to do good and be just in their actions. It is a test in character to discuss differences with poise, something I hope my children can learn to do.

Especially this time of year I hope to fly through the air with the greatest of ease, showing compassion and goodwill to those I encounter. Teaching my children that faith can be woven seamlessly into the daily life by walking the talk, going the extra mile to simply be kind people.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Vulnerability and Educational Moments...In the Grocery Store!

Image
I had an aquatience last week remind me I had a lot of children, and said she was hesitant to celebrate our family because it seemed like too much .  This was a chance run in on friday. For those of you who know me, know how much I struggle with that assessment. Girls with eating disorders often say: "I feel like too much" kids who have behavioral problems know people say they are "too much" and big families are often seen as really neat from a distance but too much . First, everyone has their own too much threshold. It is ok that my passion is not yours! Spending all day making Kombucha like one of my fiends is too much for me, or singing in a show, but I am able to celebrate this difference without judging this difference.  Welcoming children into our home with a 100% chance of heartbreak (sadness over them leaving or sadness someone I love is loosing a birth parent) is not for everyone! My response to negativity is very often to retreat, get off social media, tr
Read more

Foster Care and Parenting, What is in a Number

Image
We welcomed eight children into our home between March 2020 and today, we have had twenty five children placed as foster children since 2015, and an additional five as respite placements. These numbers look so bland on paper. Thirty children have been part of our daily living in the last six years, we have nine of our own children. In putting some thoughts on paper about what these numbers mean, it boils down to acceptance and hard work.  If anyone is new to the Otis family speak, "our own" is a loaded term. We have five biological children and four adopted children. Early on one of our sons told us the power of the question "which ones are your own?" And the fact that I answered without hesitation all those years ago, "they are all our children" from birth or adoption, feeling fully accepted and claimed has become the way we walk in this family. This does not take away the respect and open conversation about birth families, first families and sacrifice. F
Read more

Veterans Day~ What to Do & How to Talk to Kids!

Image
Today as we celebrate Veterans day, I wanted to talk to the kids about both what it means to serve and how we can help our troops. Having family serve in the military can be a source of fear and pride. The kids do not have immediate family abroad but have heard from their Grandfathers and family friends about both war and leadership serving in the armed forces. We made a list of what WE could do from home. ~The kids' school has a program to send care packages to the troops. Shop, Ship and Share has lists of helpful things to buy and send to the troops. We got beef jerky, sunflower seeds and baby wipes for the kids to bring in to school for the program. Many locations participate, google to find locally! http://www.minnesotanationalguard.org/press_room/e-zine/articles/index.php?item=4518 ~ http://www.operationgratitude.com Check out for more ideas and programs happening to support our troops. ~Sending Halloween Candy to the troops, google the closest locations. We found a
Read more