Let Yourself Grow a Little
By Steve Goodier

Did you know that the gestation period for an elephant is 22 months? And then, she will give birth to a bundle of joy that weighs 150-250 pounds? The fact that we're not elephants reminds me that we always have something to be thankful for!

Growth takes time. That is true of humans as well as elephants. I attended a parent-teacher conference for my second-grade son. We sat in the children’s chairs. They were about two feet tall and certainly not made for adults! Those chairs were designed for little people. But we grow up. And that growth takes time.

We not only grow physically, but we grow in other ways, too. We grow in our roles. I occasionally asked my adolescent kids, “How do you think you’re doing raising your parents?” I understood I would become a better parent as I grew into that role.

Sometimes growth in parenting involves the understanding that we don't know as much as we thought we did! Before my wife and I had children we taught parenting classes. We knew all of the fundamentals of raising happy and well-behaved children. Now, after raising my own children, I am sometimes asked about parenting issues. This often occurs when I am teaching a class on a different topic. My response these days is to turn to the group and ask, “Does anyone here have any suggestions?”

As I grew into my parenting role, I realized that my simple answers did not fit every situation...or every child. I threw out the easy answers and learned to assess every parenting issue individually. I tried to learn from my failures, to trust my instincts and to respond more often from my best self.

I have come a long way, but have a long way yet to grow. And that is true not only of parenting, but of all areas of my life.

If you're not yet the person you want to be, can you be patient as you grow? Even the mightiest tree began as a frail seed. Will you merely go through life? Or will you GROW through life?

Today...let yourself grow a little.

See Also:

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