Read the Room

Life isn’t a competition. And especially for us- we are not even in the race. We are strolling down some random path that we found along the way.

It is the one uppers in life-like let me do what you did, but better.

Or, you shared this, let me show you what my child or I can do better.

Do you ever wonder whether someone is intentionally saying things to you or really just doesn’t know their audience?

I am happy seeing other people happy- truly. When another child Hailey’s age (or younger, because that is pretty often) hits a milestone or does something fantastic, sure it stings a bit, but I can still hold space in sharing my happiness for others.

As the old saying goes, dimming someone else’s light won’t make yours shine any brighter.

But…there is a time and place for everything.

Am I overly sensitive or do some people simply love to share the things in most conversations that their child is doing that mine isn’t? Because I do like to hear all of the positives around me, but sometimes, some people, push it to the edge.

While others may be in the race, whether it be a marathon or a sprint, ours can sometimes feel a little deserted. Because we can’t keep up, and as much as we would love to enter, we don’t want to.

When our baby girl proves to the world that she never needed to follow the crowd or “keep up,” by defying the odds stacked against her, I hope that the same space is created for us- that the happiness we put out in the world for others, is reciprocated.