Look at the joy on these beautiful faces! And this is for real. It isn’t just “made for Facebook” smile-to-cover-the-pain type of stuff. This is Shelby and Sarah, volunteering at our HeartStories GNO last week.
I barely know them.
I met Shelby once before, briefly and Sarah for the first time that night, while rushing around before GNO, getting everything ready. But these two, they were full of joy. While we were unpacking table cloths and sashes, trying to figure out what was what and what went where, they were laughing. When the champagne fountain was heating the champagne, they kept right on smiling. They couldn’t be shaken.
They made it good.
I can’t get out of my mind, how much their spirits (& the spirits of ALL the volunteers not pictured here) lifted the mood of the whole entire room. It’s such a vivid portrayal of how our choices impact others around us. Like Oprah says, ultimately we are responsible for the energy we bring into a room. They brought so much light into that room.
It’s no coincidence, that I found this darling picture on the heals of my theme park trip with the boys.
I’ve been doing a lot of self-reflection on my parenting style while we were gone. Let’s just say, the trip did not contain my proudest moments of Love & Logic implementation. The frustration I let out when things were taking too long, not going my way, or the boys weren’t obeying my every command was honestly, a hot mess. I was tired, full of fried food, swollen and cranky. Let’s just say, I was shaken.
And I let it show.
I brought an energy of frustration, disappointment and outright anger to the trip that I’m certainly not proud of. In fact, I had to apologize to the boys. . . not because they were perfect little angels and I was wrong to be frustrated. But because I’m responsible for my energy regardless of theirs. Seeing this picture confirmed that for me, once again.
We’re responsible, you & me.
It’s okay to feel whatever you are feeling. Frustration, disappointment, sadness, anger. . . all okay. But you are responsible for the energy you bring to the world around you. Your attitude can change a room. It can change a trip. And over time, change a life.
Let’s do the hard work.
And make it good.
to more love,
Crystal
