The Gift of Growth

I learned to sew when I was 18.  My mom bought me a sewing machine for Christmas and I never looked back.  I think of some of my early projects and chuckle.  They were full of mistakes, but I was always so proud of them.  There was no way to learn and perfect my craft without mistakes.  I've been sewing now for 27 years and I can still learn and grow.  I still make mistakes.  No matter what it is we are learning, we will make mistakes.

So, why, when it comes to parenting, do we expect ourselves to be perfect from the start?  I suppose it's because our mistakes affect these little people that we love more than life itself.  But, I've been thinking about the gift we give our kids when we let them see our growth.  When we screw up, especially in our relationship with them, we can try to hide it or acknowledge the mistake and choose growth.  

As I've grown as a sewist, I've learned what works for me.  I've found the fabrics I love.  I know how to read a pattern.  I know when to ask for help.  I know the nuances of my sewing machine.  And still, there is so much more to learn!

It's similar to my parenting journey.  I've learned that there is no one parenting book that has all of the answers.  There is no one right way since we are all so individual.  God chose me to be my kids' mom.  When I mess up, acknowledge it and choose to grow, I think God smiles at me and says, "Good job!  You are showing them how to embrace growth!"  

It's time to let go of perfection, do the best we can and when we do mess up, be vulnerable with our kids and give them the gift of getting a close up view of how to do growth.