I Can Provide

I stole this blog title from another blog that I read ("Down To Earth"), but the rest of the post is all me.

Anyway, the title really made me think about my life and my role. What can I provide to my family?

I can provide:

* food grown from the garden and canned to eat when it is difficult to leave home
* food that is stockpiled when it is on sale and then stored and used over time
* clothes, blankets, accessories, sewn with my machine
* crocheted clothes, accessories, and dishcloths
* cleaning supplies made from everyday materials
* a clean home
* the ability to create menus and prepare and cook meals
* money, either by teaching preschool and doing daycare; or by returning to my skills in training and technical writing.
* money, from being frugal and following a budget.
* a melody to soothe someone or make them smile
* a hug
* a word to correct an unwanted behavior
* a word to complement a wanted behavior
* more hugs
* prayers
* support
* rhythm to our days
* the opportunity to have a greater flexibility in their learning
* even more hugs
* instruction in what is right and what is wrong
* a good example
* things to build traditions and memories
* a smile, even when I'm not in a good mood.
* being present, even when I don't want to be.
* LOVE

My goal is to be able to live a provident life. To live within my means and to be prepared for the ups and downs of life. To use resources wisely. To avoid debt. To be self-reliant so that I do not need to be dependent on others to provide for mine and my family's needs. Which is a great goal. I want to be able to provide that for them.

But I also want to provide things that are more eternal in nature. I want to provide respect, support, and love to my family.

I also need to remember that although I can do all these things, I don't always do them - some of the temporal and some of the more eternal things. I need to do better.