The Power of "I Love You"

As a mother of 4 children there are often times when I wondered if have done enough or even said enough. I grew up in a 2 parent home with 2 siblings. We travelled, played sports and were afforded many experiences, but the words, “I Love You” were never spoken. I knew that I was loved, by my parents actions and the time they spend driving us to our numerous activities etc. and always making their presence known even in adulthood when I needed them. But again I never heard those 3 simple words…I Love you.

In my adult life I have immersed myself into personal development and since my divorce, spirituality. I have always tried to share my new found knowledge with my children and I have often wondered if it went in one ear and out the other. I have always tried to live my life in a positive manner and impart that on my children. I have always made a conscious effort to let them know that I love them and make them feel comfortable  enough to reach out to me with their problems or experiences, no matter how big or small and I would listen without judgement. 

I have made mistakes along the way and I can own each and every one of them. Through these mistakes and experiences I have grown mentally, emotionally and spiritually and I don’t regret anything I went through to get me where I am standing today. Even through the darkest moments I have been able to see the light and find the positive in the most difficult times. It’s in these difficult times when we learn the lessons that catapult us to the next level.

My son has just left home to attend University in Waterloo. He had some struggles the past year and it broke my heart to see him so tormented and in so much pain and anguish while he was fighting his internal battles. It was so difficult to sit back and watch the self destruction when I was feeling completely helpless to stop it. I would ask myself where I went wrong, what could I have done differently, does he know that I love him? 

What I have learnt is that life happens for you, not to you. We all have lessons in life we need to learn in order to succeed and grow. We are all responsible for the choices we make and therefore we are also responsible for the consequences we must face as a result. We tend to pray for good times when things are bad but we forget to pray and give thanks when things are good. I run across a number of people who either cannot or refuse to take responsibility for the “bad things”. They are very comfortable playing a “victim” and blaming everyone else for their hardships. 

My son is incredible. The growth I have witnessed in him the past 3 months is unbelievable. He made some decision’s and he accepted responsibility for his past choices and he has made some incredibly great choices. He knows that he has the power to be and do anything he desires and I look forward to watching him as he continues to navigate through this journey of life.

When he approached me last week and asked me to do this joint blog with him on self-improvement, spirituality and topics of interest it was a no brainer. What would make me happier than working with my son on a project that could have a lasting impact on others? See we don’t need to change the whole world…we can start by as Ghandi says, “ Be the change you want to see in the world”…and from there we just need to make a difference in one persons life at a time.

Everyday is a brand new baby day!! We can make it any way we want it! How do you want your day to look?