to get out of bed, to get into the bath, to drink enough water (to avoid dehydration), to wear a helmet (protecting little heads in bike crashes), to eat dinner, to let me see the loose tooth, to put the band aid on or take the band aid off, to keep the thermometer under the tongue, to take turns talking at the table, to use a napkin and not the shirt/pants, to put on shoes, hold hands crossing the street, to put the clean laundry away instead of on the floor, to hang up backpacks, and yet it’s all the learning our little family squeezes into one week.

These are the moments of being refined. Helping to take off the rough edges of wanting to live on impulse and in a selfish way. If there is one grateful take away this week, it is that our family is the community my heart has craved. We practice forgiveness daily and patience is still my weakest point. I am learning to say thank you, even in the midst of a battle (big or small).