A Lesson in What's Possible

Life is full of lessons.  So many of those lessons are learned and take root amongst the strangest and unexpected of circumstances.  This is especially true of parenting.  Sometimes being the best parent is being able to recognize the small moments where the greatest lessons are learned.  I am grateful I didn't miss one of these today.  See this Barbie? Lily was given this sporty, poseable Barbie a while ago and the girls have played and played with her.  She has been so "loved" that a few weeks ago Lily picked her up only to discover that one of her hands had come off and gotten lost.

Lily was devastated and I assured her that we just needed to look for it.  We have looked for weeks to no avail.  This morning Lily came in almost in tears, "Mommy, I'm sad.  I can't find the doll's hand."  Barbie was naked and completely disheveled and I could tell that my daughter's heart was really sad about her.  My girls have a bunch of dolls so I will admit I thought a half second about just telling her, "Lily, being sad over a doll is not worth your time.  Why don't we just toss her and not worry about it."

Oh how grateful I am that the Lord prompted the opportunity for a lesson. I turned to her and said, "Lily, instead of being sad, let's empower her!  Maybe she is an athlete who had to get her hand amputated because of a training accident.  Why don't you go and get her dressed and make her feel special. She is strong and capable and beautiful."  I then pulled up this picture of a Paralympic triathlete missing a hand.  She quickly asked, "But Mommy, how does she swim? and how does she ride a bike?"  To which I responded,  "Well honey, she decided she could and she figured it out!"  My daughter lit up and raced off.

She came back in the kitchen with a new look at her "broken" doll.  She carefully handed her to me and said, "Mommy, she is amazing. and she can do whatever she wants.  Will you do her hair to make her feel pretty again?"

So while Lily was in school today I took this lovely doll, did her hair, added a flower and gave her amputated wrist a classy cuff with a jewel.

She also got a "strong" tattoo.  

Lily came home from school today and was simply delighted with this new doll that had triumphed over an obstacle and come out stronger and braver and more courageous than before.  Lily picked her up, hugged her and quietly said, "You are strong!"

It was an important lesson in what's possible. A lesson in understanding that we are only limited by our own fears.  Life happens, accidents happen, obstacles and hardships happen, setbacks happen.  We are defined by how we deal with them and how we become resilient in the face of them.  Strong means embracing what happens to you, good or bad, and rising.