Welcome friends!
September here you are again. Oh how funny it is that this day is considered the 'end' of summer in most places. But oh southern California you always amaze me with your 100+ degrees well into "fall;" whatever that is. :) Trust me, I am not complaining, I love sunshine, I just think its funny.
How was your Labor Day?!?!?!?
Please comment below with any fun things/or traditions you have on this holiday.
Mama Montage is here again and I am excited to share some ideas and thoughts on Motherhood. I had quite the busy weekend. We had party planning, baby watching, birthday parties, gift buying, lots of driving, laughs, heart to hearts, family time, and new friends. Oh and I cannot forget dancing! I will definitely give more detail on these birthday parties and dancing awesomeness later, but I want to focus on one particular conversation that came up that sparked all of the thoughts below.
Advocacy. What does that mean? What does it look like worldwide, and what does it look like in a family? Well here is a general definition:
Advocate: "one that pleads the cause of another; one that supports or promotes the interests of another."
I am a mother to my beautiful baby girl; I am her advocate by default. I will be the one to plead her cause and stand beside her when she feels alone. I will support her in all circumstances, and she will come before anyone else in my life. Now, what if I told you that I was not good at being an advocate? What if my default is to think of myself? What if my Mama Bear instincts to take over and be Riley's protector and voice fails and I don't know how to be that for her?
Things in life are learned. The biggest learning period is from birth until one leaves the nest. In that period the most fundamental character shaping traits are formed in a person good and bad. Sometimes being an adult means learning certain character traits one might not have learned on your own.
I want Riley to know and see that I am her number one fan, I am her advocate and will do things for her that no one else can or will. I will lift her up and praise her, and I will be on my knees praying with and for her. I want her to know that I believe in her and that I care. Being an advocate to her means listening to her, guiding her life because I can see further than she can, disciplining her in a fair manner that teaches her to think on her own feet and to have trust in me.
When I think of being her advocate, her Mama Bear, her spiritual leader with Drew, I... am.... SCARED! I know that I am going to fail, and I know that she will be damaged at some points in her life, but I want to be these things for her. I will try so hard to be different and to grow, so that she will know these things. Parents make mistakes; I have already made too many to count. But the fact is this: I love Riley, I work on myself for me and for Jesus, and to be a better mother and wife. All that is in between is day to day trials, the ups and downs, the monotony and the thrills. I am a mother who wants to be Mama bear but sometimes feels like Mama turtle. (Or another animal that is complete opposite of a bear. haha. ) I will work hard at being me. Being Ashley. Being like Jesus. When I model my life after Him I become those things. He is the great advocate, he is Papa bear. He is gentle and strong, and that is what I want.
I found this verse, and although I pulled it out of context I still really like it and love that this is in the bible. I feel like its a "just do it" verse. I love that the verse doesn't have some disclosure that if you didn't learn how to do those acts then "its okay don't worry." No! Go and do it! Jesus is really smart. Let's be like Him ya?
Proverbs 31:8-9
"Open your mouth for the mute, For the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy."
It is called a Montage for a reason folks! A big huge mess of words, live and raw!
