Wordless Wednesday

Power and Living an Intentional Life

I love Jennifer's blog Faking It.   Her posts are always smart and insightful and timely.  This post really resonated with me, especially her last paragraph.  

That my actions, both big and small, have the power to affect those I love, and even those I don't know,  in such dramatic ways as to change their life's projection possibly forever does really, as Jennifer says, "bring me to my knees".  It is really humbling and frightening and sobering for me to realize not only that I possess this power, but that I am vulnerable to the powers of others to forever change my life's course.  It makes me wonder in what ways my life is what it is because of another person's power (good or bad) to take me to a place I'd never thought I'd find myself.  After all, I was never getting married and I was never having kids. I was going to have a very important career and I was going to live in a very big city.  And gosh here I am, married with not just your 2.5 kids but 6 kids.  I do have a very important "career", but not the one I was anticipating.  I am looking forward to the day we move to our 70 acres with few neighbors and a 45 minute drive from the nearest mid-size city.  Jennifer's thoughts make me even more aware of how important it is to live in the present moment and to act with deliberate intention rather than to simply act or react without considering the power my actions will have on others - those I love, those I care about, those I'll never meet.  It is definitely something I strive for but generally and often fall short of.  Thanks for the post Jennifer and I must remember to "use my powers for good and not evil".

So Far....

Lashes7: Daddy, you know what?

The Greek: What?

Lashes7: Crud is my favorite word so far.


The sibs can testify to this. Lashes7 is almost giddy when something doesn't go his way because he gets to say "crud".
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I am reminded of a conversation with Lashes7 from a few months ago.

Lashes 7: Momma, how many bad words are there?

Me: I don't really know. It more depends on "how" words are used. For example, the word "butt" could be used to talk about a body part or it could be used as a mean name for someone.

Lashes7: I know what the five worst words are.

Me (a bit hesitant, but curious): What are they?

Lashes7: Well,I don't want to say them but they start with d, s, f, c, and a.

Me: (now really concerned as to what the "f" word and the "c" word might be). What is the word that starts with "s"?

Lashes7: Stupid.

Me (a bit relieved): What about the word that starts with "c"?

Lashes7: Crap.

Me (more relieved): What about the word that starts with "f"?

Lashes7: Fudge.

Me (confused): Fudge?

Lashes7: Well it isn't really fudge, but I don't know what the real word is.

Me: What do you mean?

Lashes7: Remember Ralphie in that movie "A Christmas Story" says it. Only he says that he didn't really say "fudge" that he really said something else. I just don't know what he really said.

Me (changing the subject): Who wants to make cookies when we get home?

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The words starting with "a" and "d" were what you might expect. I guess I can live with an almost eight year old thinking the five worst words are ass, damn, stupid, crap, and fudge - so far that is....