Practice Makes Progress

Last week I found myself hot and tired. But there I was squatting down in the afternoon sun having a conversation with my son. Who was also hot and tired and…worried.

We talked through things until I could see the relief on his face and the relaxing of his voice. When we resumed our walk, he seemed to feel better and I felt like my heart was smiling.

It felt so good to have shown up as the mother I want to be. And what I realized in that moment is that parenting really isn’t about perfection. That feeling of joy that comes from being the person I want to be, requires my progress not perfection.

I’m not sure what it is about this summer, but my ear has been tuning into how people speak to each other. And it’s made me be more thoughtful about my words, my tone, and my intention. So when I applied that learning to my parenting, I felt like that knowledge became a part of me. I evolved ever so slightly.

Being able to see and celebrate the wins in life is a habit. Taking time to acknowledge the good choices and outcomes in life, personal and professional, grow confidence. Gathering the evidence also helps us weather the moments when we miss our mark. They are the counterbalance to the moments we make mistakes.

Fulfillment can be found in the process of becoming the person we want to be. You don’t have to wait for perfect.