“Rebecca” 4×4, oil on canvas, $50.00 [creativ_button url=”http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/denise-hopkins/rebecca/532959″ icon=”” label=”Buy Now” colour=”blue” colour_custom=”” size=”medium” edge=”straight” target=”_self”]
No surprises here, but I read a lot of parenting books, a lot of which can be summarized by this: you aren’t perfect. How you handle your struggles and shortcomings can teach your kids as much as your flashes of glory. Kids aren’t perfect either. They watch closely how we handle difficult situations.
Ever watch a great blue heron on a lake or swamp? They do a whole lot of waiting. They keep a watchful eye on the water and then, when the moment is right, they thrust their sharp bills into the water. Sometimes they come up with a catch, but many times, I’ve seen them fail. So they wait some more, and try again.
Today’s inspiration is from Rebecca who, like the heron, is persistent. With her kids watching how she manages her goals, she chooses to be brave. Rebecca:
What’s the bravest thing I’ve ever done? Is it having my kids, is raising them in the world we live in today with such violence, aggression, entitlement? Is it marriage as we constantly suffer ups and downs? I think we all face challenges that require us to show courage and bravery from time to time and even in many of our daily tasks.
Most recently, at age 32, I decided to go back to school. I have wanted to go back since I graduated the first time around. I am a registered nurse, and, don’t get me wrong, I am really proud of it. But when someone asks where I got my BSN I want to crawl into my shell. Instead of pursuing and completing my BSN, I changed schools in the middle of my degree and went to charity school of nursing on the advice of fellow nurse. I was told that they wanted to work next to a Charity grad because they get more hands on experience. Yet, this degree left me incomplete and embarrassed. It was only an associate’s degree. After 10 years, I decided to put myself out there and finish what I started. I decided to go back to school! Wow, and what a learning curve! I mean, my experience has been great but every moment has been daunting. I was scared the first day and still get scared but I am doing it. I am doing it with my kids watching. And I am doing it well! My kids are so proud and yet so over all my school work! I am 3 semesters in and have to say I am doing better this go around than the first time. Is it age? Is it because I know my kids are watching me, and I want them to know they can go back to school and do anything? I think right now this is the bravest thing I’m am doing. Facing something I have always wanted, doing it for my myself and my children, and actually succeeding!
Yes, yes, yes. I’m still looking for more stories of bravery. Please E-mail me at denise@denisehopkinfineart.com.
November 8, 2016
Share Post
One of the first things I remember learning as a child was the concept of patterns. Teachers seemed to be...
After kicking off 2024 with a (mostly) small painting a day in my annual 31 in 31 practice, I was...
“If You Want to go Far” 24×30 inches, oil on canvas I started this month with a bike, and...
Become a member and enjoy early access to new releases, exclusive discounts, and a new wallpaper for your computer or tablet. Elevate your art journey with us.
This following document sets forth the Privacy Policy for this website. We are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Crh), which sets out a number of principles concerning the privacy of individuals using this website.
We collect Non-Personally Identifiable Information from visitors to this Website. Non-Personally Identifiable Information is information that cannot by itself be used to identify a particular person or entity, and may include your IP host address, pages viewed, browser type, Internet browsing and usage habits, advertisements that you click on, Internet Service Provider, domain name, the time/date of your visit to this Website, the referring URL and your computer’s operating system.
Participation in providing your email address in return for an offer from this site is completely voluntary and the user therefore has a choice whether or not to disclose your information. You may unsubscribe at any time so that you will not receive future emails.
Your personal information that we collect as a result of you purchasing our products & services, will NOT be shared with any third party, nor will it be used for unsolicited email marketing or spam. We may send you occasional marketing material in relation to our design services. What Information Do We Collect? If you choose to correspond with us through email, we may retain the content of your email messages together with your email address and our responses.