| When you are a divorced parent, you've got | | | | problems through thoroughly to unfold that |
| your hands quite full. There never seems to | | | | courage. One of the nicest aspects of |
| be enough time in the day to get everything | | | | parenting is that the things you need to do |
| done, and your kids can fire questions at you | | | | the job are all built in. Yep. You had them |
| more rapidly than a cherry-spitting contest. | | | | when you were born. You've been building |
| Arguments over dinner and homework abound. | | | | them while you lived your own life. Doing a |
| Sometimes, you can get overwhelmed and want | | | | parent's job is like earning a Doctoral |
| to throw in the towel. | | | | degree. D. in strengthening virtues! |
| | | | |
| Children don't understand overwhelm. They | | | | What happens is that your kids provide some |
| don't understand not having enough money. | | | | test for you - they test your patience, or |
| Your children never think to give you any up | | | | your courage, or your ability to love. And |
| front heads up that they're going to have to | | | | you have the option to say "Yes, I can" or |
| go buy school supplies for their projects. | | | | "No, I can't.There are times when you might |
| They don't understand that bunches of kids | | | | be thinking that you just "cannot" but your |
| yelling and laughing can get on your nerves. | | | | force yourself to say "I can" and then you |
| They don't understand their arguing can drive | | | | just do it. Have you ever noticed that in |
| you nuts. They don't see the full picture. | | | | life, when you make a commitment, somehow in |
| | | | someway the fulfillment for that commitment |
| But you do. And it's the full picture that | | | | seems to just happen. |
| we want to talk about here, because it's that | | | | |
| full picture that will help you to unfold the | | | | When I was a young parent, I needed a |
| courage you'll need in order to persevere | | | | reliable car. Car wasn't in the budget that |
| with your Great Parenting Plan. You have | | | | month, but we needed that car. I made the |
| made a plan, haven't you? You're not just | | | | commitment. I don't remember ever not making |
| winging it, are you? | | | | that payment easily. Magically, when you |
| | | | make a commitment, whatever you've committed |
| The Great Parenting Plan is where you are all | | | | to actually happens - somehow, someway. |
| dressed up, dabbing the tears from your eyes, | | | | |
| watching your child walk down the aisle at | | | | It will happen the same way with bringing up |
| his graduation. It could be a high school | | | | the courage to persevere. If you determine |
| graduation or a college graduation. That all | | | | that, by gosh, you will persevere in doing |
| depends on your plan. You want to take | | | | the absolute best job you can to be their mom |
| yourself in thought out to that point in the | | | | or dad, the courage that it takes in the |
| future where your child graduates and begins | | | | moment (that'd be the moment when you're |
| to move off into his own life, fully | | | | exhausted and they need a ride downtown,) you |
| self-sufficient and capable. You've got to | | | | will bring up the courage to set yourself |
| see the picture of how to get your child to | | | | aside and provide what they need from you. |
| that "dream" place from where each of you is | | | | |
| at the present time. | | | | You'll do it repeatedly throughout the tenure |
| | | | of your divorce. You won't remember these |
| Working backwards from that moment in the | | | | moments when you see them at their graduation |
| plan, but always keeping it in the forefront | | | | ceremony and you will be such a proud |
| of your thinking, will help you get through | | | | divorced mom or dad. You'll forget about all |
| those challenging moments that create | | | | the overwhelm. Oh they'll have told you |
| overwhelm, those moments when you might not | | | | "Dad, puhle-e-eze don't cry at my graduation" |
| even want to be a mom or dad anymore. There | | | | and you'll try. You'll really try. Only you |
| is no quitting option though. Your kids are | | | | will know of all the times when you set |
| here and they deserve your best. It is your | | | | yourself aside to care for them, of all those |
| golden opportunity to summon up all of your | | | | hundreds of details you handled to be a good |
| resources and give it one heck of a go. | | | | parent, and you won't be able to help those |
| | | | escaping tears. They're tears of joy. I |
| It takes courage to persevere with the Great | | | | know. |
| Parenting Plan, and it takes thinking | | | | |