Today is a very special day. Today, Brady, turns three. This day serves as a reminder not only of Brady coming into the world, but it also serves as a reminder of the day Chris and I took on a new role for the rest of our lives…parents. These past three years have been amazing. There have been many challenging moments, moments I thought I would lose my sanity, moments I feared losing my independence and identity, and moments I felt completely helpless in knowing how to raise a child.
The beauty of sharing life with my son, though, out shines any fears and challenges I ever faced. These past three years have been overwhelming full of joy! I came across something I wrote early in the morning (September 28, 2007. 5:47am) after Brady had been up crying one night when he was only 7 months old.
Brady is my teacher. My moments with him are sacramental, sacred moments. He continues to point me towards God in ways nothing else I ever have encountered does. In those moments of holding him, snuggling him, loving him, which are my absolute favorite moments in the world, I am reminded of God’s love for me. Can’t I just see that God wants me to snuggle up with him the way Brady does with me? How simple of an image is this for me to grasp though? Me, a grown woman, wanting to be cradled like a child in God’s arms? How many times in life do I feel like needing to be held and loved and told “I love you”? This at times can be a frequent, yearning for me.
What I wrote then is still true now… Brady is my teacher. Together, we experienced many “firsts” together. For the rest of our lives, we will be experiencing “firsts” together. So often, the roles of teacher and student are hard to distinguish for he and I are both student and teacher to each other.
So, today, one of the things I am most thankful for is my exuberant, inquisitive, intelligent, sweet, Brady-Bug!
Who are the teachers in our lives?
Is there anyone in our life that we share the role of both student and teacher with?
Becky Eldredge
Becky is an Ignatian-trained spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and writer. She is the author of the Busy Lives and Restless Souls (March 2017, Loyola Press) and The Inner Chapel (April 2020, Loyola Press). She helps others create space to connect faith and everyday life through facilitating retreats and days of reflection, through writing, and through spiritual direction. With nearly twenty years of ministry experience within the Catholic Church, Becky seeks to help others discover God at work in the every day moments of people’s lives by utilizing St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises and the many gifts that our Catholic faith and Ignatian Spirituality provide.
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