Reflection in the Mirrors (Day 3)

When I told my husband the idea for the writing challenge, he asked me, “How are you going to come up with a topic a day?  Will you just look at yourself as you get ready in the morning, see yourself in the mirror, and say, ‘I think I’ll write about a mirror today’?”

Little did he know, his joke inspired today’s word.

Today’s word is:

Mirror.

Mirrors are not quite needed in daily living, but they certainly make life a little easier since they reflect our image back to us.  Oftentimes, they are placed strategically, for practical reasons, but can also be placed in a location for aesthetic purposes.  Most of us aren’t aware of how frequently we use mirrors, but if we cover them up or remove them, we would quickly realize how dependent we are on mirrors.

I have realized my children are my mirrors.  Not only do they reflect images back to me, they also reflect back my behavior, words, actions, and so much more.

Knowing that my children are mirrors makes me strive to live my motherhood in a more purposeful manner.

I don’t always succeed in that endeavor.  When my actions fail to live up to the words I’m espousing, I have a tendency to be critical and negative toward myself.  While I am working on giving myself grace and forgiveness for being human at times, I do acknowledge there are times when I don’t like the reflection I see staring back at me, through my children’s eyes.

At the end of last week, as I was heading for my mug of coffee, I passed the counter that held my son’s cup of milk.  When I saw his milk, I stopped, chuckled, and realized he had done to his milk what I do to my coffee – inserted a spoon.  It was in that moment that I was again reminded, no matter how small my actions, I need to pay attention to how I do them, because little eyes and ears are constantly watching and listening.

Therefore, this month, I am going to strive to clean the mirrors I see reflecting back at me.

In order to do that, I need to push myself harder – to recognize the small moments in my days with my children, and to appreciate those moments.

In the words of St. Teresa of Calcutta, I should challenge myself to, “Do small things with great love.”  While I can’t go out and save the world, I can do my part by saving my family – not just by telling them I love, but also by showing them how to love.

At the end of the day, I can be stressed out about how the day unfolded.  Or, I can be blessed with how much positivity I spread to my family.  We are all given the choice of how we would grade our day every single day.

Today, I choose to clean off the mirrors, and focus … on being blessed, loved, and loving.

I choose to pass along the love I feel from God, to the little mirrors reflecting back my image.