Mama Renew

We came across a fabulous article by Cary Tenis on Salon.com, and it has us thinking about the ways in which we get caught up in our feelings, beliefs, and thoughts about the ways in which our partners, children, friends, mothers-in-law (etc…) drive us crazy, and forget to see the beauty.

The article is actually an advice column, written in response to the parent of a 16 year old girl who is having some trouble following her parents’ rules. His words of advice, however, are powerful for any one of us in relationship with another human being.

“When a person starts doing things I don’t like, at first I try to stop her. I can think up many reasons why my way is best. But what I find over and over is that when I am thinking of all the reasons my way is best, I am not seeing the person in front of me. I am seeing my reasons.”

In our Mama Renew groups we often see women struggling in their relationships with partners, children, mothers-in-law…  When our own personal needs are not being met, it seems we are even more prone to conflict with those around us.  Balance in our lives takes many forms, and when one need is out of center, others too are affected.

His article is a powerful reminder to come back to love, over and over again.  To look beyond the surface of our life, the mess and the hard days and the toilet seat left up, and simply see the whole of the person before us.  As he so wisely says,

“I love my reasons. I love my solutions.

But here is a person before me that I love, and I am not seeing her.”

So today, we challenging you to bring love into each interaction, to look beyond the momentary frustrations embrace the beauty in your loved ones that we sometimes forget to see.   It’s there, we promise.

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