“…women are very careful about how much credit or attention they give to themselves. But we all certainly deserve praise and recognition. And so, right on the heels of Mother’s Day, this “Woman to Woman” is an opportunity for us all to admit that we are amazing, and to share our strengths with one another.”
This is my third time sitting to write this post. Even writing the title made me feel awkward, as though I wasn’t deserving of a little self-praise. I can’t remember ever having a writing assignment that completely stumped me like this one has. Apparently, I need to examine my inner self a bit more and gain some self-confidence.
Rather than using the word “celebrate”, I prefer to tell you know why I’m “proud” of myself. To me, “celebrate” brings about thoughts of parties and awards and I’m not a center-of-attention type of person. I much prefer a few quiet pats-on-the-back.
*I’m proud of the fact that I’ve been married to my college sweetheart for 14 years and have known him for 20 years. That’s not to say we haven’t had our ups and downs but it’s a big accomplishment in the age of quickie divorces.
*I’m proud that I’m a laid back parent. I can worry about my kids like every other mom in the world but I don’t hover over them, entertaining them every waking moment or protecting them from every misstep. As babies, I let them have their alone time to explore their worlds and learn how to entertain themselves and now they can make up creative stories or play pretend with Polly Pockets for hours on end.
*I’m proud that I hear “Mommy, I love you” multiple times a day. It’s not a sentiment that was openly expressed when I was growing up so I’m glad I changed that pattern with my own little family.
*I’m proud that my girls have a loving relationship with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Apparently I’ve done a good job of teaching my girls that family is most important.
*I’m proud that my 10-year-old still wants me to help at her school. Not sure why or what I did to get this response but it warms my heart.
*I’m proud that I receive compliments about how well-behaved my girls are in public. I guess some of my good manners talks are sticking with them.
*I’m proud that I am a sister to three great brothers and that we all have a mutual respect for each other and our respective families. We definitely don’t agree with each other on many issues but we don’t let little things destroy these precious relationships we have with each other.
*I’m proud that I’m a loyal friend with a strong shoulder to cry on. I’m happy that my few closest friends can share their innermost thoughts, fears, and problems with me without fear of being judged.
*I’m proud that I ran my first 5K race and met my goals of finishing it and not having a heart attack while trying to finish!! That was two years ago and I haven’t run since but it helped reinforce that I can accomplish what I want.
*I’m proud that I found the courage to apply for a work-at-home position and that I got the job! This was an idea and a goal that I’ve had for a few years but now that my youngest is nearing full-time school, I had to put this idea into action.
Wow! Look what one little word change can produce! Now I feel like I’m rambling.
Thank you to Lei and Morning Glory for offering this as a topic this week. It was quite cathartic!
Thank you to the other women in this group who have already posted very inspirational and exceptionally well-written posts on this topic. You’re truly talented with your writing skills and each post has touched me and made me think differently about life in general.
