"I do it!"

From the time Ben could speak he would utter the words "I do it". This phrase I heard over and over again from simple tasks as climbing off a chair to tremendous tasks for a little boy like climbing a mountain of stairs. A flight of stairs was nothing for me but for an 18 month old it was quite a task. I can't even think of how many times I've thought to myself how much easier it would be for me to do it. It would be done much more efficiently and with more quality.

Today Ben wanted to cut his own orange. The protective mommy in me said no, but he insisted. I decided to let him try with supervision (and with my camera, of course). Now the absolute worst thing that could happen is a cut finger. He would bleed, I would bandage and kiss, AND he would learn a lesson. He did fine, I took some pictures, and off he went to eat his snack.

I thought about this more. This isn't the first time my son has been in mild danger to learn and grow. I have watched him climb and jump off numerous high places. I have seen him run too fast and fall. I have been close by when he touched a somewhat heated stove. Each time, a lesson learned. Is this okay? I know that I will see this come up again and again as I watch him grow.

With that said, being a mom gives me a sense of what our Heavenly Father felt as he sent us to earth. I think I have an idea what he felt in his heart. I don't want my son to ever be hurt. If I could keep him safe forever and he would still be able to learn life's lessons, I would in a heartbeat. That is not how life works, so again I will stand by and watch my kids fall down, get back up, and move on.

Sorry for the serious post. I just figure if I'm going to print this out as a journal I should write some things of the heart. So I guess be ready for some weekly sappiness. :)