Gardening/Patience

Samantha has become quite the gardener.  She was so excited this year about planting and gardening.  It has been fun to work side by side with her.  She has pulled weeds, watered, sprayed, planted, and worked hard.  It has been a joy to be with her.

The last little while I have been thinking a lot about my children and what to expect of them.  Recently I was reading a book called The Slow-Ripening: Fruits of Mothering, by Emily Watts.  She talks about the scripture found in Matthew 7:17, "By their fruits ye shall know them." and then says
 "children are the slowest-ripening fruit there is."  She explains that we can't take a bite of a strawberry when it is green and expect it to be juicy and sweet.  Just as we can't expect our children to behave  the way we want when they are still in their green state. 

I was then listening to "Alexander's Amazing Adventures," CD's by Linda and Richard Eyres, the value Self-Reliance.  Alexander, the boy who has the adventures, says, that he has not reached his potential yet, that he is getting there but he must keep learning.  It struck me that I need to be kinder to my children and not expect them to have reached their potential yet.  But when they make mistakes and are hurting I need to kindly explain to them that I am not expecting perfection and that they are having their own adventures that will help them reach their potential.