Our family had declared 2019 as the
year of growth. We set some specific goals at the beginning of the
year. Near the end of 2019 we sat together as a family to review what
we set out to do and if we accomplished what we hoped to do. We all
agreed we started out fairly well on our meeting the specific ways we
hoped to grow in our lives. However, until the end of the year, if
the goal hadn't changed into a habit, it likely fell to the wayside.
Even though we didn't accomplish
everything we set out to in 2019, it's safe to say that adding Heidi
to our family made all of us grow in completely new and unexpected
ways. Heidi has taught the other seven Hesses to be more selfless,
more patient, more compassionate, more understanding. We have to
continually put her needs above our own.
This has looked different for each of
us, but some specific ways we have adjusted are: Anne took over
reading the school lessons in the afternoon (and I am SO glad we're
in a good place for the start of 2020 where I've been able to start
teaching again!). Abbey has set aside her own for-fun books and
gotten Heidi up from naps, changed diapers, and helped with dinner.
Maggie has a special knack for making Heidi break into gales of
laughter. Caroline will drop anything she is doing to sing to Heidi
and help me rock her to sleep. Ruth has willingly released her slot
as “baby” for her preferred status of “big sister”. Ruth
rarely complains that Heidi takes so much of my attention and has
gotten involved with Heidi's therapies and encourages her to do all
the new things (walk, climb the stairs, don't hit yourself) and has
even provided the nickname we all started using; Heidi Boo-Boo.
I know all the cool kids are calling
this year, 2020, the year of vision or the year of perfect vision as
a play on 20/20 vision. I haven't been a cool kid for a long time so
our family is taking a different track for the year.
My original idea was something along
the lines of “2020, the year we don't do anything new” or “2020,
the year where get lots of sleep”. Of course, when raising a
family, you'll never have a year where nothing changes. Children, by
their very nature, are constantly growing, learning, and changing.
And of course, I want to see those things happen, especially for
Heidi in her first year home.
As Trent and I discussed what we hoped
to see happen in 2020, we realized what we hope our family can learn
is to change some habits to create in our minds a constant state of
thankfulness. We have dubbed 2020 to be the year of gratitude.
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I've
purchased some inexpensive journals for each of the kids to keep
track of three things per day that they are grateful for. It is my
hope that as they go throughout the day they'll make mental notes of
something that happened or an instance which made them grateful.
“...godliness with contentment is
great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and neither can we
carry anything out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will
be content with these.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8
Practicing gratitude leads to
contentment. While we have plans of some projects we would like to
accomplish this year, if they don't happen it is my hope that we will
not be continually striving for more and more worldly things and
instead be content with our food and clothing. In an effort to raise
children who are not spoiled by all we could
give them in terms of possessions, we hope our whole family can show
a testimony to the world that contentment and joy come not from what
we have but Who we know.
“Give
thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world
know what he has done.” Psalm 105:1
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