This week’s journaling prompt is inspired by my mom, who read to me in confidence something she had written in a time of change.
Let me backtrack a little bit, tell you something about my mom and tie it all in with Monday’s inspiration prompt.
My mom used to be a teacher. She was the kind of teacher who gives part of her body and soul to her students. She used to teach in schools whose students came from a social economic background that did not leave much hope – but my mom had given hope to her students, who had won national writing contests with her guidance and encouragement.
After many years of teaching children, she was injured while guarding a kid at school with her own body. Using her human shield she took on a kick aimed at a kid that had ruptured her liver and could have killed the poor kid.
My mom, the fortress of comfort and safety, became sick. Her body weakened and after a few more years she was asked to retire for medical reasons (after repeatedly winning educational trophies – each and every year).
The early retirement (just a few years before she was at the legal retirement age) hurt her more than the kick and its medical repercussions has ever done. She lost her ray of light – helping children reach their full potential.
Little by little, year by year, she started withering in a way that had broken my heart. She stopped thinking about herself altogether and only lived for others. Only cared for others. Only breathed for others.
Just a week ago she called me and for the first time in a long time she looked genuinely happy. She said she has decided to take a step towards accepting herself and loving herself again and she is going to do that through writing and painting.
Then she read to me.
And I cried inside.
She wrote about how writing makes her feel.
And I wept. Inside.
I am so happy for her and wish her only the very best. Hopefully her new teacher will be as wonderful to her as my mom was to her students.
I want to spread my mom’s educational spirit and encourage you to take the time and list what are the things you can do for yourself, what activities can you engage in, that will make you feel better and love yourself.
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How can you treat yourself better? leave a comment below and share with me. I love hearing from you and I almost always reply.
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Tags: journaling, Journaling Prompt, mom, yourself
Thank you for sharing this incredible story about an incredible lady!
I shall be thinking about your question this morning…
Thank you for opening your heart 🙂
what a great post! I wish your mom all the best with her new journey, and I’m going to try to be kinder to myself and not put myself down so much….
Thank you, Trish! I send you love and oodles of motivation & inspiration!
Wow Avital, you’ve hit home with this post. So honest and heartfelt. Thank you for sharing something so inspiring. I recently started scrapbooking and playing with ink and paint and i can cay it’s awakened something inside me that had been getting lost over the years. Now i make it a priority to spend sometime during the day (even if it’s 5 mins.) doing something creative. I feel it makes everyday meaningful. best of luck to you and your mom in your creative journey!
Thank you Carolina. I really love my mom and inspired by her. Her decision to spend time trying to regain some self love means the world to me. You can never know how things you do JUST for yourself end up helping tremendously to your loved ones.
I don’t know how to answer your question … but I want to thank your mom for being a wonderful loving teacher … too many times teachers don’t get the credit they deserve. Or do they EVER?
Anyway, I don’t know if I should be better toward myself … sounds crazy I know. BUT, I have three kids (6, 4 and 1) and work full time. I almost always feel cheated in not being able to craft and play with paint like I want. I feel guilty for not spending enough time with all my kids … they all ALWAYS need something, so if I devote any time to one, the other two get left out. The middle one has speech apraxia (a severe language disorder … he understands everything, but just can’t speak plainly for others.) So often we are both frustrated with his speech – I try not to be … but it is hard on him and me.
And I feel like I am just a whiny b#$%^. LOL.
I know this time will pass (and so quickly I will miss them being small), but sometimes, I do wish time would fast forward a bit faster so they can be a bit more independent. And I have time to myself to really be with myself. Which again makes me feel oh so guilty for wanting that.
Okay, I will stop now.
Thank you for sharing, Melanie.
Don’t feel guilty for needing time for yourself. If you wish, look at it from a different angle: When you take the time for yourself, you are feeding your soul and refueling. These activities help you stay strong for your children. They provide you with the strength you need while giving your kids your undivided attention.
Thank you for sharing with us about your Mom! She is such a selfess and giving person. I’m happy that she found her groove back…we all do that to ourselves (part of the trait of being a woman) sometimes. I try to treat myslef with better nutrition and exercise (which I’m lacking at the moment). Love your blog!!
Thanks Virginia! I wish my mom could look at the mirror and see the (skinny) sophisticated and talented woman she once was. I guess in some ways, she still is – but she had locked it somewhere deep inside and lost the key.