What’s Your Today?
If today was the only memory your child would have, would you live it differently?
Some of us would forget everything else and have a cake fest. Others would schedule things out to the minute. Maybe some wouldn’t leave the couch to allow for every last snuggle.
I doubt any of us would carry on as usual. We always think we have tomorrow, but no one ever guaranteed that.
Here’s my question (to myself more than anyone): Today, what history am I making?
Not to be too dramatic, but history is comprised of the “todays” you live.
Technically, we’re always making history, but we don’t think of it that way very often.
At THIS moment, YOU are shaping what will soon be the past memories of your little people! Let that settle in.
This moment shapes history.Are your current actions how you want to be remembered?
Maybe that feels a little too heavy…
Shaping the history of your family can feel daunting. But guess what? History is just made up of lots of “todays” and you CAN do today.
How would you like to live today if today makes history?
Would you change your voice?
How would you change your face?
Would you change your time?
Would you change your phone?
As parents, we’re pretty good at “tomorrows”… We’ll start that habit; tomorrow. We’ll take our kids to church; next week. We’ll get serious; later.
Recently, I was challenged by a friend who said, “You can teach your kids one thing all day, but at the end of the day, they’re WATCHING what you do.”
Do our kids SEE the marriage that we want them to have?
Do our kids SEE us going to church?
Do our kids SEE us forgiving others?
Do our kids SEE us making good habits?
I once read a quote that said, “Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.”
I often forget that my actions are the loudest teacher.
What if my kids only learned from my actions instead of what I said?
Would they see in me the things I would like them to learn?
Would they know how to love their spouse by watching me love mine?
Would they know how to listen to and love a friend by watching me?
Would they know how to treat others better than themselves by watching me?
We’ve all heard it said – “Actions speak louder than words.” So what are our actions saying?
Too much pressure? Maybe. If you’re like me, you need a little reminder that today matters.
It can feel overwhelming, but what if we just made history by living one day at a time
That sounds easier.
Do you know how EASY it is to make a “history” with a kid?
• Seriously. Turn on some tunes, make a fool of yourself, and your kids will SMILE.
• Go for a walk and whip out a secret stash of candy. Winning!
• Hug your teenager and tell them you’re proud of them.
• Encourage your tween with your words.
• Make monster cookies and eat them in a blanket fort.
• Go play catch.
• Pick your kid’s favorite activity – do it with them.
• Make popcorn and eat it on the roof.
• Speak LIFE into your kids. They will remember it.
• Listen to Adventures in Odyessy and COLOR! (my kids FAVORITE)
Here’s my point. We can flip the script today. We aren’t stuck! We can literally choose the history we want to create!
My daughter flipped my script the other day… I always told myself that making cottage cheese was probably too difficult and therefore had never tried it. When she learned that it only took three ingredients, she eagerly asked to try making it. To my surprise, it turned out great! (And we made history together while she made it!)
Meet your farmer – Liz Gerdes. She & her husband run a farm-to-table raw milk dairy and farm Airbnb in Caledonia. If you’re looking for raw milk fresh from the farm, visit gerdesfreshfarm.com or follow her on Facebook @gerdesfreshfarm or Instagram @gerdesliz for more info.
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