Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Self-Worth

Dear Mom,

Your granddaughter Rita sent me the sweetest handwritten letter last week. She's a JV Coach for the Parkway South Ladies Lacrosse team. She had been reading a book, Successful Coaching by Rainer Martens and had come across a few quotes from the book that she wanted to share with me as she said she thought of me when she read them.

I think she was trying to be kind and remind me of what I need to apply for myself. Here is part of what she quoted, "Of all the judgments that we pass in life, none is as important as the one we pass on ourselves, for that judgment touches the very center of our existence."

I would say Rita knows me quite well in that I am my own worst critic and the not-so-kind judge of myself. I'm not sure where it comes from or why I do it--the only thing I do know is that I must stop it. There was something about reading that quote that hit me.

I love how my children are able to tell me such intimate things whether about themselves or how they think of me. I wonder whether I would have had that same kind of relationship with you had you been around when I became an adult. Either way, it doesn't matter. What matters is that I work on the relationships that I have going on now--and especially with myself.

7 comments:

  1. Lynn - If you haven't read it already, pick up Kelly Stone's "Thinking Write." She talks about how to get past what she calls our "anti-writer," that part of ourselves that whispers negative things.

    It is great that your kids are so open with you and that you've been able to nurture that. That alone is a testament to the kind of person you are---loving, supportive, and open.

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  2. Yes, Lynn....it's wonderful that you have such a great relationship with your kids. And you really do need to be kinder to yourself. You're such an awesome person! I admire you. You are a very good writer, a thoughtful, giving friend and wow...what a chef!!

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  3. Lynn,
    How fortunate you are to have such an open relationship with your children that they feel comfortable sharing things with you on that intimate level. "Don't be so hard on yourself" was the best advice I've ever received.

    ~Jean

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  4. Out of the mouths of our babies. You are fortunate to have such great kids, and they are fortunate to have a great mom.

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  5. Lisa, Becky, Jean and Linda - thank you - your kind words have made my day. Bless you all.

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  6. That Rainer Martens quote is now my Facebook status because it speaks volumes about my entire life. I even touched on it in my "W" blog for the A-Z Blogging Challenge (The Frustrated Foodie).

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Thanks for commenting. I don't always comment back, but I do appreciate it.