The ever persistent earthworm

Today is a rainy day here in Kansas. Its been raining on and off for the past couple of days... good long soaking spring days. I know that many tire quickly from the rain; it is not often enjoyable to go on long walks in the park while its raining, I don't know of many people that would choose to sit on a patio to eat dinner in the rain. Today, the rain showed me something - the definition of persistance.

According to the interwebs, persistence is a noun and means "

firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition".

 

Today I was walking along the sidewalk and glanced down to find an earthworm slowly climbing out of the wet ground onto the concrete. It got me thinking. How long had he been moving, inching his way to get to the surface? Did he start the moment the ground around him became damp? Did he have to struggle through layers and layers of dry dirt, damp dirt and then the thickest of all mud? Why did he do this? To survivie... in order for him to survive he traveled a long, hard journey.  It gave me a flashback: In the flood of 1993 I remember going out with my family to look at the damage the flood was doing to areas around our home. The river had overrun its banks and had taken a new path right over a main road between our small town and the next. As we walked up to where this new path of water was raging we noticed hundreds of earthworms, all at the edge of the water, slowly inching away from the torrential current of the river. I had never seen anything like it before or since.

 

Those earthworms could be the picture child of the word persistence. Right next to the word in the Webster dictionary. I'm serious. Think about how hard they work, how many obstacles they have overcome in order to live another day. I don't believe that they do it to impress other earthworms, they do it, because its what has to be done.

 

Over the past year I've learned that persistence is a trait that I have become to admire and strive to have. Doing something with purpose, no matter what difficulty or obstacle you face, because its what you feel is right, its what you feel has to be done. Its not to win a popularity contest, or to win over that person you are trying to impress. Its being authentic with yourself and others, working towards a goal with purpose.

 

Slowly I'm inching and edging my way there... I really think I'm only in the part of the dirt that is just damp, I've got some harder dirt to move and I'm sure that I'll get stuck more than a couple of times in the mud, but it will be worth it. On that day that persistence is part of my personality traits I'll be able to smile in the sun. Sure I'll be dirty and muddy and may be laying on the ground, but I will also be proud and triumphant and able to breathe!

 

I guess what I'm saying is that no matter how hard life is to get through some days, being persistant and working through the mud is far better than staying put and suffocating.

 

When the world starts raining on your dirt pile, be the ever persistant earthworm.

 

Confidence

Last week little miss priss brought home a paper from school that said she had decided to be helpful by getting herself dressed in the mornings. This has been a huge struggle for us so lets say this all together - hallelujah... HALLELUJAH!

The outfits she has chosen have not been something that I would have picked out, but many many wise mothers have drilled into my head that I need to pick my battles (especially with a kiddo who is super duper headstrong)... anyway, getting back to the outfits I mean seriously, stripes and polka dots and all colors of the rainbow in one outfit, admittedly it makes me cringe, but then I stop - Looking at her she is radiant, not from her clothes but the confidence that she is exuding, from within. Its almost a confidence you can feel and taste - she is who she is, without question, hesitation or apology. Its awe inspiring and to stop and realize that it is coming from a 5 year old just BLOWS ME AWAY.

I'm thankful beyond words that she has this confidence. I'm thankful that she doesn't have a fear of judgement. I know that the years where she will second guess herself are coming. Creeping into her happy, carefree, confident spirit. I just hope and pray that those times when she does second guess herself, she chooses to be happy with who she is. I hope and pray that her confidence stays in moments of tough decision making, in moments of peer pressure and in moments when she is 15, staring in the mirror wondering if she is enough.

Baby girl, just remember that you are so special to so many people - The people who mind don't matter and the people who matter don't mind - Be yourself in everything you do.