Proud

Motherhood Challenge Accepted!!

I was nominated to post a picture that makes me happy/proud to be a mom (yes just one photo). I'm going to tag some ladies whom are fabulous mothers and can rise up to the challenge of posting one picture of their own. If I've tagged you as one of the awesome moms, copy the text and paste it to your wall with a picture and tag more moms

proud

praʊd/
adjective
  1. 1.
    feeling deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one's own achievements, qualities, or possessions or those of someone with whom one is closely associated.
    "a proud grandma of three boys"
    synonyms:pleased (with), glad (about/at), happy (about/at/with), delighted (about/at/with), joyful (at), overjoyed (at/over), thrilled (at/about/by/with), well pleased (with), satisfied (with),gratified (at), content (at), appreciative (of)
    "Moira was a delight to her proud parents"
On a rather long car journey last week I was thinking about these Facebook "challenges" doing the rounds. 
I am not opposed to people expressing themselves in this way. However, I really find myself cycling through the same questions in my mind every time they come around: 

  • What does it mean to be proud to be a mom? (Happy, I can relate to, but my understanding of proud is linked with achievements ... I had children by choice, desire and our genes playing along ... does this qualify as an achievement? I guess I see this in much the same light as someone asking me to define how I am proud of having curly hair.) 
  • If I see this doing the rounds and don't get tagged ... have I been judged and found lacking in the awesomeness stakes? 
  • What does it feel like to see these pictures and posts when you aren't feeling "proud to be a mom" or would like to be a Mom and aren't. (Now please don't think I'm becoming excessively PC. I don't think it inappropriate to show our delight in something based on the possible reactions it might trigger in someone else. However, I am against creating exclusive clubs that highlight our differences rather than celebrate or magnify our similarities or that which unites us.)


 And then, as my mind is wont to do, it strayed off topic. What do I feel proud about? Generally speaking, that is.

 So I thought I'd share my list, in very random order, with you.


  •  I am South African. The wide open spaces, the mix of cultures, the unique way of using language and the troubled history, have all shaped parts of who I am.
  • I am proud of our ability as a family to be grateful for what we have, thoroughly enjoy it and be generous with it.





  • Linked to that, I am proud of our desire to show hospitality to all ... from the baby we are honoured to babysit for a few hours, to the puppy we find wandering the streets, the birds nesting in our shed and including friends and family from near or far.
Charles City, Iowa



  •  We are willing to set off into the unknown, travel great distances and take risks in order to maintain relationships. 


Markus at the company Christmas Party
  • I am hugely proud of my husband! He is an incredible man, father, son, entrepeneur, business leader and innovator. He leads his company with wisdom, grace and perseverance. In the face of many challenges, he works harder and thinks more about creative solutions.


The Living Room
  • I created this space in Münnerstadt and it is still a place where people meet and real life happens. This makes me feel very proud.


A Kindergarten project of Markus, re-discovered as we moved out of our home in Germany and safely packed away.

  • As a family we have real respect for the past, our heritage, the experiences, people and places that have shaped us. We treat it as holy ground and look through a lens of gratitude.
    A local dam we love to visit in summer
  • I am very proud of our children. The way they embrace the challenges and changes of life in our family, the way they remain open and welcoming to the many people that cross our paths. Their creativity and sense of adventure. And the fact that they are full of grace and inquisitive, allways questioning and never just accepting the status quo.
  • Finally, I guess I am proud of the fact that I live life with an open, questioning attitude. Eager to learn and prepared to embrace change, even when it feels risky.



I don't know ... this seems like a long list and yet incomplete. I don't often think of my life in terms of what I have achieved. But I regularly think about what legacy I might leave behind. I would love to know that my life has had an impact, made a difference, been meaningful. Don't we all want this?

I would love to know what it is that you feel proud about? What sense of achievement do you have? And who inspires you to examine your life more closely and discover the treasures hidden there?

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