Living Strong Means: Taking Pride in the Small Steps in Life

Deanna, our talented photographer, whom shot Ethan's one year photos emailed me the other day letting me know that our photos where ready. As I was putting some of them up in frames I remembered back to an email Deanne wrote to me about how she was "giggling" over the faces that Christopher and Ethan made, because they are the exact same! And as I sat there going threw them I had to giggle to my self too (I even pulled out some photos that I had taken of them and yep, they do, they have the same expression on their face - "their eyebrows operate in the same manor").

It made me think of how our children are small versions of our selves reflected back to us through God. If we were to sit and look at our children deeply, we would learn so much about our selves. I watched Ethan today pick up his sandals, walk over to me and plopped down into my lap (that's code for "Mummy, I would like my shoes on please.") While putting them on I could see his little grin grow and once I was done, he stood up and trotted all around the house as if he was trying to do his best Frankenstein impression. He was so proud of the fact that he had his shoes on and he commanded them to do his bidding - *stomp, stomp, stomp*. It made me think, when was the last time any of us took pride in the small steps we take in life.

One day at work I wasn't having the greatest of days, I was running late, press checks all day long, driving back and forth and back again. At the end of the day my feet were killing me from my 3" heels (yea don't ask, I'll never wear those to work again) and as I stepped off the elevator the gentleman in there with me held the doors open and said, "have a good afternoon, a great day and God bless you". I smiled and said, "thank you" and wished him the same. However, as I walked back to the office, suddenly my day was all better. I could have cared less that I drove over 150 miles that day, ran from press house to press house, playing good cop bad cop with printers - someone took time out of their day to wish me a good day. Then it dawned on me; when was the last time I said "hi" to a total stranger and it help them make their day, to make them as happy as Ethan was with his shoes on trotting around the house?

So I ask those who read Living Strong. Today living strong means reaching out to others to help them smile. Reach out to those strangers around you and take pride in the small steps we take in life. :}