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After yesterdays post, I had two very dear friends send me very long and inspiring emails.  They both were of different content, but had the same message.  The message was grace.  So today, I thought a lot about grace, and I know that is what got me through the day.  I had 5 things that should have gone smoothly go a little wonky.  First, I shot a 50th wedding anniversary over the weekend and I took about 4 images of one of the small boys attending it, he was a doll.  Anyway, I had forgotten to switch my flash off (after doing indoor large -25+ group shoots.) So, the 4 I took of him didn’t turn out.  The mother of the boy saw the images in the slide-show and gallery and wondered where those shots were.  I was so disappointed to have to tell her what really happened- hopefully she isn’t too disappointed.  Next, I get a phone call from the mother of the awesome dinosaur boy pictures I posted, and she has not received her prints I mailed out on the 23rd (and she lives in the same city.) So I call the post office and there is no word as to where they are…so I will be re-ordering them tomorrow.  The day is a little bumpy, but I do not let it bother me.

At about 2pm the ups driver delivers two packages: one from a new lab I thought I would try out for a proofbook, and one from Gina Alexander.  I open the GA box first….it is my first sample bag from them.  I actually ordered it for a great friend of mine that has sent more business my way in the past two months than any other person has combined.  So this would be a gift to her.  Upon inspection, I discover that the inner liner is fraying and was not sewn completely.  I call immediately and let them know.  I was shocked to find out that I have to pay to ship it back (they will reimburse me- but only if I use the slowest method possible….ground) and then once they determine the defect, it could be another 2-3 weeks turn around???? Crazy I know.  Again I remember grace.

So, I open the next package- the proof-book.  Looks pretty good.  I flip to the back of the book and the last pages are missing all 124 reception images I wanted to include.  So I call the lab (they have been pretty helpful up to this point), and tell them of the issue.  They have someone call me back.  Well, I talk to her and not once did she mention that she was sorry for the inconvenience or anything.  I had two options: they would mail each page not bound so that I could cut the binding of the current proof-book and then re-bind all 100+ pages myself????? Or create a second book with the 12 or so pages that THEY forgot???????  I thought huh?  How about a new proof-book put together how it should be? Once again, grace came to save my day.

Then my dad calls me and tells me how much he enjoys living by us and how sweet *R* (our youngest) is and what a joy she was to watch playing over the weekend.  And I said yup and mentioned the fits she throws and he says that I just spoil her.  I was really surprised so I asked for specific examples- they had escaped his mind, but he said he would let me know the next time we saw him.  So of course, I think how do I spoil her….half the time I get told I am too strict with my kids.  She DOES throw fits and wails…only with me….but when she does I tell her that is enough and then I ignore her.  I don’t want to reinforce the action either negatively or positively.  So I tell her (at age 13 months) that is enough and I walk away.  Of course she gets more upset….but she gets over it.  So, spoil I am not sure.  If I do, I want to change that.  I do want to love her and treat her as someone special ALWAYS, but the word spoiled says brat to me and that is not what I want.  So I was a little confused and maybe disappointed in myself and once again: there was grace.

I know this is getting long, but the dy is almost over.  I get a call from my mom and we talk for a while and I tell her how some days seem like such a struggle to balance everything and that I just want my children to be happy and loved and give love to all those that surround them.  The call gets emotional and we are both crying and grace came in to save both of us.

As I sat down at my computer, I find the mother’s day card my sister sent to me (we were not really close growing up) but thankfully we are closer now.  Even still we don’t hang up the phone with an “I love you” even-though we both do.  But she sent me the most wonderful gift I have gotten all year, a card that had words that were the least expected and from the person I would last expect to “hear” them from.  I will leave you will the words from the card:

A good mom points out the butterflies and plans road trips

and believe in words like “creativity” and “imagination”.

She celebrates her child’s sense of wonder and wants to keep that sense

of wonder alive.

A good mom inspires and dreams and loves.

Thanks- you are a good mom.

At the end of the day (a little rough at points), those words really pierced my heart.

I hope that today and everyday, that I am a good mom and that Grace will accompany me wherever I may go!

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