“Hot stuff comin’ through, and I’m not just talkin’ about the coffee,” booms a sassy, little, blonde, curly headed nine-year-old as she carefully fills up my coffee cup.

That same girl just celebrated her twenty-second birthday, and she often relives this memory for me upon request because she knows it’s one of my favorites.  If you know Meredith, you know that this saying fits her personality on so many levels.  

All of my girls have their own special gifts and talents; one of Meredith’s has always been to make people laugh, especially when she’s not even trying.  My friends have always been entertained by the tales of Meredith, especially the ones that made me lose my mind.

I always promised I would write a book about her crazy antics someday. Now, as I am back to more formal writing, I thought I’d pause every now and then with something called “Meredith Breaks” to share these moments through the years. 

While my intent was just to give a bit of a recess to my readers, I began to realize that these “breaks” were just that during my parenting years as well.  Breaks from the stress and the struggles during all those years of trying to figure out how to raise three ‘good’ girls, striving to be the perfect mom, attempting to do it all.

Being mom is tough, at any age!  I don’t care who you are; it’s tough.  I have been blessed and cursed at every stage of my girls’ lives, but the “little’ years were the biggest challenge for me.  Mainly because I was determined to have it all under control.

In the midst of the making sure everyone was fed and clothed, homework was done (well), rules were followed, and activities were scheduled, God would throw these “breaks” at me to remind me that I was anything but in control.

Now, I look back, laugh, and thank God.  God definitely taught me to be humble and to be careful passing judgement.  He taught me that while I strive for perfection, I am not, and never will be perfect.  I was not in control then; I am not in control now.  The more I think I am and the more I try to be, the more I realize I need God.  And, I am so grateful for this truth.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55: 8-9 (ESV). 

So, let me encourage the young mothers out there and let me remind you who have learned this like me.  It will be ok.  It may not always seem like it because the worry, the tears, and the exhaustion will always be a part of parenting.  Do what you have to do. Fight the good fight.  Do what is right. Pray all the prayers. But know that you don’t have to have to all together, because God is in control. He will give you “breaks” as well.  Appreciate them and enjoy those “little” years because before you know it, they are the “big” years.

I will share one of my “Meredith Breaks” now, but look for more as I continue this blog. Enjoy!

My husband adjusted well to being a “girl dad.”  Part of accepting that he would never have a boy was signing our girls up for all the sports he enjoyed.   The most memorable part of Meredith’s short, elementary-booster basketball career happened to be her favorite part of the season as well, picture day. This particular day happened to be on one of those crazy, running late after school, million things to do early evenings.  (Actually, every day was like that!)  I instructed her, as I pulled into the driveway, to run upstairs and  quickly put on her uniform shirt and a pair of shorts as well as a pair of sweatpants that she could take off once she got there.   I mean, what kind of mother would send an eight-year-old out in the cold without her little legs covered?

Her dad and I were tag-teaming the evening; he was on his way home from work to get her.  She ran upstairs to follow my instructions as I was getting her baby sister out of the car.  Right on cue her dad honked the horn.  She ran downstairs in a blur with sweatpants as instructed and out the door before I could even say bye!  Whew!  I was thinking they would get there just in time.  Success! I could start dinner and breathe easy. 

Then my phone rang.  My husband didn’t start with any pleasantries like” Hello.”  He just said, “Did you happen to see what Meredith was wearing before she left the house?”  Oh no!  The panic in my voice when I asked why didn’t scare him; it made him laugh.  She had followed my instructions and had worn her purple uniform shirt; however, under those sweatpants, she wore light blue, terry cloth, ‘booty-cutter’ gym shorts from the dress-up bin.  You know the ones, like what  Linda Ronstadt wore on her 70’s album cover!  As if that wasn’t enough, he went on to tell me through his laughter that she also had on black, Halloween, ghost socks.  Scary face with fuzzy, white felt ghost hair! 

With my face in my shaking hands trying to picture my cute, little, blonde, curly-headed sweetie in a group picture with mostly boys, dressed like an eight-year-old goth-basketball playing hooker, I screamed, “PUT HER SWEATPANTS BACK ON HER!”  That would solve the shorts and the socks debacle.  “No way,” he continued, “the pictures are happening right now.” 

I could not quite see the hilarity that my husband was so enjoying at the time.  Instead, it seemed like an example of  failure on my part.  Can you imagine how many mothers looked at that picture and asked, “Why would Marlene dress Meredith like that?”  However, now as I look at those pictures, I laugh out loud. I know that God was giving us a “break,” and I can now appreciate that.  What a great reminder of the blessing of Meredith’s true personality….and style.