“It is far more powerful to live your truth than to preach it.” - Author Unknown
I had my first covert meeting when I was in high school. It was 1985. Big hair and even bigger shoulder pads were in. Knitting was not. My best friend’s Mom knit the most amazing sweaters and I desperately wanted to learn how. We met in private and she taught me how to knit and purl. 25 years later I have succeeded in knitting a few items. My biggest challenge though is when I make a mistake I don’t know how to correct it! Recently I was knitting something and realized I’d made a mistake. Instead of pulling it all out and starting over (my usual M.O.), I simply stopped and went in to my favorite knitting shop to get help. You can imagine my surprise when Judy, my knitting mentor complimented me on how I was becoming a better knitter!! Seriously? I’d gone to see her because I’d made a mistake! She said, “Yes - but you now you are able to see for yourself that it wasn’t right!”
As a parent, teaching my kids healthy eating has always been important to me. When my mother-in-law introduced our then 1 yr-old son to scrambled eggs with ketchup I concede I went a little off the deep end. I couldn’t understand WHY she would do that? He liked plain eggs just fine!! I made the mistake of thinking that by having my children exposed to the less healthy eating habits of others that my efforts would be ruined. Now that my kids are older I’ve learned I can relax.
This summer the kids went to spend a weekend with their grandparents. After Grandma’s cookies, pies, ice cream and more the kids couldn’t wait to go to the baseball game where they had “Treat Seats” in a section that included all the peanuts, popcorn, hot dogs etc you could eat! Our 11 year-old sent me a one-word text in the 7th Inning, “GROSSSS!” He later called and asked if I could help he get back on-track with healthy eating when he got home. I felt like I’d hit a home run! In giving my son the freedom to make his own choices about his food, he learned a lot more than if I had controlled what he was able to eat. This time success will be measured by his ability to see for himself his own “mistakes” and understanding how to get back on-track again with healthy eating.
