Lawn Mowers

This morning my husband read me an article about lawn mower parents.  I had heard of helicopter parents, parents who are always watching over everything their kids do.  They hover and and are ever-present.  I hadn't heard of lawn mower parents until this morning.  These parents are constantly clearing obstacles out of their child's way.  Anything that might hurt them is removed.  This constant lawn mowing teaches children they can't handle adversity or stress.  It teaches them they are not strong enough for the obstacles life throws at them.

I've seen the evidence of this.  As a teacher, I hear students tell me they can't do things because they have been told they can't.  They can't handle stress.  They can't focus.  They can't do math.  None of these can'ts are true.  They simply haven't learned how yet.

As he was reading the article, I thought about the person I would be now if I hadn't passed through so much adversity in my life.  It didn't start with cancer diagnosis, but that was a big moment in my transformation.  I began to see people more clearly and had better priorities.  Each obstacle I encounter is another opportunity to become stronger, not to give up.  Each trial that falls at my feet is an opportunity to learn a better way rather than retreat in failure.

You can go back and read old posts about how I handled adversity in the big, difficult moments, but I still get excited about the little moments too.  I've had some form of a cold or left overs of a cold for two weeks now.  I've spent 3 different weekends resting to some extent so I can do my job during the week.  I could easily quit.  I could easily say "I don't feel well, see you when I do."  But I don't.  I rest when I can.  I make the smartest choices I can about what I eat and what I spend my energy on.  I don't run myself into the ground, but I also don't give up.  I took almost a week off of exercise when my cold was at its worst, but I am back to it now.  Some would use their illness as an excuse and refuse to exercise.  I have found that as long as I can, it can't speed up the healing process.  Yesterday, after my workout, I threw up.  I threw up a bunch of crud that was sitting in my chest and would have remained if I hadn't exerted extra energy.

I still get tired.  I still have days of pain.  I still have to take a day at the end of the week to recover.  However, I have overcome more obstacles than I can count in my 41 years and am thankful for each one.

I believe my adversities have made me more grounded, compassionate, understanding and peaceful. 

As you face your own difficulties, I pray no one mows them down for you so you can see how strong and amazing you are.  I pray you overcome every adversity and look back at what you can accomplish.  When the next trial comes you will know you can handle it because of all you have already accomplished.