AE Heart & Soul | Hands Free Mama & Kind Over Matter

Last week I started a new Friday series called Heart & Soul.

Today I want to share two posts about mothering I came across this week that touched, inspired and challenged me.

From A Kid Who Isn't Knownvia Hands Free Mama | I'm a big fan of this site and of Rachel's writing and it's definitely worth your time to subscribe to her feed or go back through her archives. From her About Hands Free Page, "This blog is for anyone who wants to re-think how he or she is living (or not living) life. It’s for anyone who wants to let go of daily distraction and perfection to embrace what really matters."

Letter To My Children's Step Mother via Kind Over Matter | I'm not currently a step-Mom and my kids don't have one yet, but I thought this perspective was honest and inspiring. I particularly loved these words:

"When the kids worry about which one of them might be the "favorite" or argue over who is going to get the first snuggle at bed time, I tell them what we all know to be true about love. It is as boundless as the sky. Metta. Lovingkindness. Gentle rainfall that touches everything, and does not fall here because this patch of grass is more deserving, or there because that patch which has suffered more from drought. It simply falls, replenishing us without qualification. Love’s infinite capacity expands and grows to fill the space we create for it."

Both posts remind me to model the behavior I want to see in my kids.

And last night, as I was falling asleep, I came across the Carl Jung quote in Daring Greatlyin a portion of the book where she's talking about owning our own story. It definitely resonated with me in conjunction with the two posts I'm sharing this week. We get to choose how we respond, what our attitude is, and how we take the next steps in our lives.

Have a great weekend!