Resilience
I've been learning more and more about the care and keeping of bearded dragons. Folks. It's a good thing I didn't do my research ahead of time. If I had had any idea about how involved this would be I am sure I would have made a different plan for Josiah's 7th birthday. Absolutely....positively.....sure. But. That's now how it went. I decided we should get him one and convinced his dad and the rest is in the story.
I'm glad we get to learn and adjust as we go. With bearded dragons, with children, with our careers.....with all of it. Resilience is a beautiful word.
Spike is about 4 months old. He eats mostly bugs and some salad and veggies every day. If he doesn't like the salad he throws it all over his tank. Today he got some strawberries and he ate every little nibble and had pink lips the rest of the day. I didn't think he was drinking enough so I tried to syringe feed him some and it worked. Now I am dripping water into his mouth once a day when he is willing. I am likely crazy. I do realize this.
Josiah had Spike out of the tank today for some social time (because I made him) and I happened to mention that Spike may be a girl and not a boy. Joe looked at me like I was crazy. I explained that we can shine a flashlight against his tail, holding it up and look at his "parts"....certain shapes indicate male versus female.....and I asked Josiah if he wanted to do that and know for sure if Spike was a boy or a girl dragon. I think he may have grown a bit pale, I know he visibly shuddered.....and slowly shook his head. "No thanks mom". He would rather not know. Believe you me I plan to do the test and find out anyway because inquiring minds definitely want to know. Is it a Spike or a Spikette?
I actually have a point to all of this.
Sometimes we jump into something we are not quite prepared for.....and we just need to roll with it. Sometimes we can research and prepare and make calculated decisions but sometimes we just have to go for it.....a new job may be that way. Adoption definitely is. Deciding on a new pet maybe shouldn't be but sometimes is....at least for me....
Resilience is the beautiful grace that lets some bad decisions become ok. It is the glue that holds our humanness together and sings a love song that makes the mundane feel special.....it is the second chance and the lesson learned from previous mistakes.....it is the mop and broom for the beautiful mess of life. It is the hard thing we cannot really teach our children as we grow them up.....we have to let life teach it for us.
Isaac turns 18 tomorrow. No longer a child. Able to make big decisions and answer for things himself. I'm proud of him and I trust him to do life well.....in part because we did our best to prepare him for it, but in part because I believe in resilience. God built this into the fiber of human being.....created in His image to do the work He called each of us to do......and the cool thing I am learning as I grow older in this world, is that He also blesses us to have fun, to try new things, to not always get it right and to be adventurers.....to mess up or succeed.....to live in full color......
Try getting a Spike.....or dream a big dream....or write that book.....or take that trip.....or say "yes" to a nudge from the Father. You have what it takes to try it all.
I'm glad we get to learn and adjust as we go. With bearded dragons, with children, with our careers.....with all of it. Resilience is a beautiful word.
Spike is about 4 months old. He eats mostly bugs and some salad and veggies every day. If he doesn't like the salad he throws it all over his tank. Today he got some strawberries and he ate every little nibble and had pink lips the rest of the day. I didn't think he was drinking enough so I tried to syringe feed him some and it worked. Now I am dripping water into his mouth once a day when he is willing. I am likely crazy. I do realize this.
Josiah had Spike out of the tank today for some social time (because I made him) and I happened to mention that Spike may be a girl and not a boy. Joe looked at me like I was crazy. I explained that we can shine a flashlight against his tail, holding it up and look at his "parts"....certain shapes indicate male versus female.....and I asked Josiah if he wanted to do that and know for sure if Spike was a boy or a girl dragon. I think he may have grown a bit pale, I know he visibly shuddered.....and slowly shook his head. "No thanks mom". He would rather not know. Believe you me I plan to do the test and find out anyway because inquiring minds definitely want to know. Is it a Spike or a Spikette?
I actually have a point to all of this.
Sometimes we jump into something we are not quite prepared for.....and we just need to roll with it. Sometimes we can research and prepare and make calculated decisions but sometimes we just have to go for it.....a new job may be that way. Adoption definitely is. Deciding on a new pet maybe shouldn't be but sometimes is....at least for me....
Resilience is the beautiful grace that lets some bad decisions become ok. It is the glue that holds our humanness together and sings a love song that makes the mundane feel special.....it is the second chance and the lesson learned from previous mistakes.....it is the mop and broom for the beautiful mess of life. It is the hard thing we cannot really teach our children as we grow them up.....we have to let life teach it for us.
Isaac turns 18 tomorrow. No longer a child. Able to make big decisions and answer for things himself. I'm proud of him and I trust him to do life well.....in part because we did our best to prepare him for it, but in part because I believe in resilience. God built this into the fiber of human being.....created in His image to do the work He called each of us to do......and the cool thing I am learning as I grow older in this world, is that He also blesses us to have fun, to try new things, to not always get it right and to be adventurers.....to mess up or succeed.....to live in full color......
Try getting a Spike.....or dream a big dream....or write that book.....or take that trip.....or say "yes" to a nudge from the Father. You have what it takes to try it all.
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