Week 5 is about focusing on being grateful for the kindness in your life. Remember kindness comes in many forms, take a moment to recognize how kindness shows itself in your life.
What a fabulous week I had with being grateful for the kindness in my life. My in-laws were in town from Florida this past week and we had the kids for 12 days straight. We were all constantly doing something together each day. The kids got to go swimming and spend the night at the hotel with their grandparents over the weekend. They had a BLAST together. My in-laws got to watch a few of James’s baseball games, and so did Matt’s Aunt. We all were out in the 95 degree summer sun while cheering on our favorite little leaguer. After the game we headed to the local ice cream shop and cooled off with some tasty icy treats.
Just watching how everyone was coming together to support James was a sight to see. It was amazing watching ex spouses, new spouses, in-laws, parents, step siblings, brothers, sisters, all talking, laughing and getting along. It wasn’t weird. It wasn’t awkward (okay, I’ll admit, I was slightly nervous), but once everyone said hello and hugged, all of the nervousness went away. I was so proud. I was proud of our blended family. And all the while, the kids were just watching all of us adults getting along. It wasn’t that there would be fights before, but you could cut the tension in the air with a knife. Now, it’s just a big family, getting together to support one another, and it’s actually really fun!
I never thought I would be sitting here talking about all of us getting along. I was very worried for quite some time that the kids will never get to experience the true joys of having a blended family. That your parents being divorced isn’t the end of the world and that everyone really CAN get along. That through all of the pain you will find kindness again. I’m proud of what Stephanie and I have done for our families. I truly believe WE changed the dynamic, and it all began with the kindness we have extended to each other.
OF course you and I are responsible 😉
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We must be that influential 😉
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Comforting to hear, satisfying to know it’s possible.
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So awesome. What a great example you are setting for the kids. x
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Thank you!
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I still can’t get over how wonderful this is! It just keeps getting better and better! I’m so happy for you guys! Thank you so much for participating in the challenge and sharing your story. This is really inspiring and such a great example that it really is possible.
On another note, CONGRATULATIONS on being featured in Huffpost! That’s amazing! I’m so excited for you!
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Thank you for hosting this incredible challenge! I have seen such a dramatic change in how I view life. Instead of jumping straight to the negative, I stop and reflect with kindness. For that, I will forever be grateful for you and this challenge.
Thanks for the congratulations! It was an amazing week for me and I can’t wait to write my week 6 for the challenge!
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Oh my gosh, that’s so amazing to hear! Comments like that touch my heart more than you know! I’m so glad that this could help you in any way. Thank you for being so open to participating. What you get out of it is a result of the effort you put into it. Thank you for joining me on this journey!
You bet! I was so excited for you when I saw the icon on your sidebar. I was like how did I miss that before? And then I realized it was just published 🙂 Can’t wait to see the reflection for week 6!
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Thanks for always being so supportive, especially with our story. You’re awesome! Hopefully The Huffington Post opens more doors and opportunities to share our story!
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That was the first thing that popped in my mind! Maybe the book idea isn’t so far fetched!!! I could see you guys giving seminars, talks or offering support groups. Helping other blended families find ways to bring balance. Inspiring stuff!!
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Very true, “our roots remain as one”. Having blended families can be a blessing if you just keep focused on being kind to each other. Pain from the past is just that from the past. It’s how you live today and into the future that makes such a difference. Beautiful post to share. ❤
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Thank you! It’s all about how we choose to handle everything. It takes time but once you come to the realization that getting along truly helps everyone….it’s a beautiful thing to witness.
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