Thursday, October 8, 2015

Note to Self

I went to yoga today.

The teacher was one of the beautiful, deep, free-spirit types; she was wearing a loud navy blue shirt with a large pink floral print and leopard print leggings.

"So...the outfit," she said, acknowledging her unconventional apparel immediately.

She went on to explain that she had been looking through photos with her parents when they came across a photo of her wearing it.

"So, tell me, what about that shirt goes with those pants?" her mom had asked.

The class laughed then because it was very clear that nothing about that shirt went with those pants.

"Well, the shirt is a shirt, and the pants are pants, and shirts and pants go together," she quipped. "That is my very favorite outfit, probably that I've ever worn," she went on to explain.

"Then you should wear it tomorrow," her mom said.

And she did.

And there was a deeper message around that story -- about happiness or yoga or doing what you want or something but I was so busy screaming, "THAT IS THE KIND OF MOM I WANT TO BE," inside of my head that I missed it.

It's as easy -- and as difficult -- as that. Acceptance and celebration of who they are, even if I don't quite get it.

"Then you should wear it tomorrow."

I couldn't do the handstand thing she was trying to teach us yet, but I still learned a lot.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

It already sounds like you are raising the most gorgeous boys, how much of a cooler mum could you be?! Such a beautiful sentiment. xo

Unknown said...

I agree with Meriam and I feel like you are already raising your kids like that.

Melanie said...

This is one of those ah-ha moments! Thank you for this. I think it will resonate for a while as I try (desperately and falteringly) to apply it.

Anonymous said...

I don't know....when you stick out like a sore thumb you signify something to people, something in their own heads that may or may not have anything to do with who you are. Then one or two of them yell and throw things at you .... and then if you're among eleven year olds a bunch of them start yelling and throwing things at you and you start to believe that you're persecuted and everyone sucks. Sometimes it's better to just try to fit in so you can put your energy into something more useful than dodging Ho Hos and cultivating your own misanthropy.

Anonymous said...

Big hug at you, Anonymous.