Shannon Yee

Last weekend in Grand Rapids was a fabulous convention with 2000+ moms. We sat and listened to several speakers and went to workshops and talked to other moms. The whole point of the conference was to encourage and equip moms in they’re various roles within the home. For more info, visit their website.

I came away refreshed after a break from being home and all of those responsibilities, but also renewed in my commitments as wife and mother. I recognize that I am only hurting myself and those I love most when I try to help in every possible way outside the home. It was really encouraging and a little frustrating at the same time to attend workshops and know that I am already implementing most of the ideas and strategies suggested for raising great kids; although, I was really hoping to get the detailed prescription for how to get perfect kids.

One of the most profound and simple themes for me was to love my very ordinary kids and our very ordinary life – and delight in it all. In the evening session, the speakers reminded us moms that we are all unique and that we should not and cannot compare our insides with someone else’s outsides. It is so easy to see others as having it all together, but we don’t know what’s going on in their lives and most likely they are pretty similar to us anyway. Ordinary isn’t bad, it’s just what most of us are – otherwise it wouldn’t be ordinary… So, I’m embracing my ordinary life and delighting in all of the routine, regular stuff that we do and struggle with as well as all the normal stuff that we enjoy and get excited about.