…But what about the last bouquet? Spoiler alert: it's tragic.
Today, our church offered a flower bar to all the moms. Some of us 💁🏻♀️ didn't want to wait in line, so we talked, snapped everybody's pictures in the Photo Booth, and then turned to find that the trash flowers were all that was left.
There have been years when that would have hurt my heart and left me feeling unseen and oddly lonely.
This year, we had a glorious breakthrough on an issue with one of the kids. We laughed a lot this morning. I wore a new dress that was the least subtle of them all. I was happy. So, the trash flowers became a funny prop.
I was happy…so…
Isn't that the most common thread in motherhood? Our mood affects the family's overall tone. I want a happy home, so I’ve made some adjustments.
Intentional Shift #1: Before I get out of bed, before I look at my phone, I have started asking Jesus " So, Lord, what are we gonna do today?" I remind myself that it's His day, too, and we will walk it out together. It's so simple, and I'm feeling it affect my attitude.
Intentional Shift #2: When we feel frustrations flaring to pray out loud for wisdom and healing before the conversation. It calms my heart and quiets my soul. I am prone to gigantic, big feelings. (Who is shocked?) which is fun in the highs and damaging in the lows.
Sometimes, in parenting, I feel like things have gone too far, I've messed up, and it's too late to fix it. Jesus makes everything right. I trust Him to use my morning surrender and prayers before things spiral to bring light and happiness even into the places where it has been hard and exhausting.
When we got home, Selah took that sad sunflower, pried it open, and put it in her flower press. In a few days, I will have a dried sunflower to frame. My trash flower shift spilled over, and my daughter took it a step further. She's learning from her mama how to see beauty in unexpected places. I hope you intentionally shift this week. When you decide to be happy anyway, even the trash flowers in the last bouquet aren't so sad after all.