Day 73 - Relating

(Each day this week I want to share some outlying notes I took at church and some little random tidbits that really spoke to me this weekend).

It's Monday.

Over the last few weeks I have noticed that everyone I talk to is extra tired, stressed and weary. Me too. My kids have been taking me on a wild ride and our family schedule is crazy. On more than one occasion last week I spoke to a mom that didn't want to admit that they were feeling overwhelmed or tired. They felt like if they did that then they would be saying that their kids are not good, that they cannot handle their role as a mom, that their marriage isn't perfect or that they were complaining. But, my favorite conversations are with moms who share their bad days, their hurts and their frustrations! Because after a few sentences we can all relate and you know what we end up doing? We laugh a lot! It makes me feel human and I love it. I love relating to other people with my hurts and heartaches. I love laughing with a group of girls about things that our husbands do or telling stories about potty training that perhaps were not funny at the time, but we can laugh about them now. I love relating with my dad or a friend's husband about stresses when our lives are so different. I love it when we are honest with each other (if you know me I like to throw in a little sarcasm too). Honesty about who we are is what builds loving relationships. Each of us can relate to so many people because we have so many different avenues in our lives and sometime we have to open up and be honest first to build that relationship. I am never surprised when I become friends with someone I never would have thought I could relate to. And I am really never surprised when I see how being authentic about your own life can change other people's lives. It is scary to open up to people, but I think it is scarier to be alone.

Being authentic means you are honest about your weaknesses and mistakes.