self

"Selflessness" is huge in my life.  I think that is true of most mothers. I think it's true of people who work in most environments. I think it is fundamental as a Christian!  But, much like unconditional love, you have to DO IT to understand it!  You have to be it to live it. You have to show it for others to see it and truthfully if the "others" are teenagers they aren't paying much attention to any selfless acts!

Sunday morning Scott woke Tasha to get ready for bible class.  Granted she had a busy weekend...cheering Friday night, leaving for Knoxville at 2:45am Saturday morning and returning at 2:00 am Sunday morning, but it was all of her own choosing.  She also chose to not get up when dad woke her. I went in, realizing she wasn't up and told her "Tasha you have 5 minutes to brush your hair, get on clothes and come to the van!"  She actually had closer to 10 minutes but the point was she had very little....due to her own choice.

She got up and did just what she wanted.....after 8 minutes I went to get her and she was in the bathroom washing her hair.  Everyone is in the van waiting.

Scott left with them and I left without her....I cannot stand selfishness.

She was tired, Bella did something with her shoe, she couldn't brush her hair, she didn't have an alarm clock....it went on.  I just had no empathy for any of her "reasons" as she took no responsibility for herself.

After church I told her ....

I spent hundreds of dollars on this weekend for you....I bought chickens to help pay for the trip, made food, and gave you cash for the game)....I  got up Friday morning and took two very hard to deal with children to wal-mart with me because I needed to buy food to prepare for the cheerleaders dinner(all 25 people). I spent all day Friday preparing the meal, I had to check kids out of school early so I could make it to the time you needed food at the school. I set it up and got it home, I cooked dinner for for our family, packed a bag for two toddlers I was bringing to the football game...along with everyone else, and went to the football game early for the Tigers Go Gold, I sat and took pictures and enjoyed the game, I went home and even let you bring a friend to stay until bus time. I was up until midnight getting people to bed,. I was up at 2:15am taking you and your friend to get a snack and then meet the bus, I came home and slept three hours and was up with little people.  Grocery shopped, birthday shopped, took everyone to Lexington to meet Zackery for his birthday, came home, feed people, had movie night for Tori's birthday, celebrated her birthday, was in bed around midnight, got up at 2am to pick you up, took you through McDonald's for a snack, sat and talked about your day, went back to bed around 3am, was up again to get everyone ready for church ......

Only to have you not get yourself up and get ready.

 I have NO empathy for teenagers who have great privileges and no respect for them.

Needless to say, "grounding" occurred....over the attitudes that declared the lack of gratitude and no ownership for actions and behaviors.

Sometimes in life there is more that just "Me" to consider.  I told Tasha, "I wear my hair in a silly pony tail to church most Sundays, but it is MY CHOICE...I could get up at 4am and begin getting ready...but I don't because I too am usually too tired, so I put self away and do what has to happen to make it where we need to be."

Selflessness is HUGE. Moms are great at it and kids who grow up and have to live in this world? They usually appreciate it even if they don't live it. I do not do what I do for appreciation. I do not do what I do for recognition. I do not do what I have to do for the joy of it (although I do receive joy very often). It was all because of a choice I made to be a wife and mother.  For better or worst, in sickness or health, as long as I live........it is a commitment.  A love. An honor.  It's my life!!  Truthfully, teenagers make me very sad sometimes, and then they so surprisingly become adults!  

I have to admit to wishing those teenage years to pass quickly for some of my children!