I remember being in school and hearing whispers, “she thinks she’s better than us”. I don’t even remember why. Probably a grade on a test or doing homework or wearing an outfit or . . breathing. I remember coming home and asking my Mom why people would say that. I didn’t think I was better than anyone else. I was just living my life.
Even now, there are people in my life that say things like that. It was actually said to my face not long ago by someone who is supposed to be trusted, telling me that I thought I was better than them . . because . . . I live my life the way I want and not the way they wanted me to.
I hate to break it to anyone. But I don’t wake up and plan my day, my week, my month, or really anything in my life based on other people. I have my dreams and goals, that are mine, because they are what I want. And I compare myself with who I want to be. That’s it. That’s the secret. To those who think I compare myself to others . . well, it just shows you don’t know me very well. And spreading those comments to others just shows how little you know me and how little you actually care about really knowing me.
And of life’s lessons, this is one that my kiddos are learning too. Set your own goals, work hard, be humble, reach your dreams, and ignore the comments from the sidelines. The people who really love you, will be happy for your wins in life. They will celebrate with you and cheer you on. The ones who try to make you feel bad for following your heart are not the ones you want to keep in close company.
Tonight I am thankful for the hard lesson learned to turn away from the comments meant to poke holes in my life. I am thankful for healthy boundaries to keep the cynical criticisms farther away. And I am thankful for the perspective to hopefully help my kiddos stay strong against the comments and the attitudes that seek to make them feel bad when they should be celebrating accomplishments in life!
Momma's Silver Lining 