It’s Friday, and I’m meeting up with the community of Five Minute Friday at the Gypsy Mama for some free writing fun. Here are the rules: follow the prompt, no extreme editing, write for five minutes flat and encourage the person who linked up just before you. Would you like to join?
Today’s word is GRACEFUL.
{GO}
I wanted to be an ice skater, a gymnast, a diver. I wanted to dance across floor, spin through air, twirl across mats, fly with abandon. I wanted to be seen as beautiful. Set apart with my long flowing hair or my bun or my ponytail with all its clips holding the fly-aways.
I watch my girls spin and jump and balance and look to find our eyes, our smiles. They show us their beauty, look for grace.
I loved to dance, but didn’t find my way to it until high school, and then after a few short years, that part of my life felt over — save some moves at wedding receptions and a few (sad) attempts at swing dancing with my husband.
Graceful always meant her. Not me.
And I usually still think this way.
Look how she handles those kids’ out-of-control emotions with such patience and ease.
Look how she opens up her home with a smile on her face and without the residue of sweaty running-around to get things looking right.
Look how she manages to transition so smoothly from summer to fall and keep her family life moving and feed the hurting and manage a run in the mornings.
Graceful is her. Not me.
For gracefulness implies elegance without even trying, beautiful ease.
But these are the assessments of the outside. I don’t know how she struggles within. I don’t know the effort required for her to do this thing or that thing which flows from my life, which spins from my feet.
What if graceful means, too, full of grace?
Full of love and favor that is given freely.
Given out, not just as a descriptor for her and her who seem to have it figured out, but for me, the one who knows her own struggle, who knows the trying and chooses to receive the love that is hers.
{STOP}
Connecting through the power of stories written, spoken and lived
Ashley as a woman of 64 I only know a few things and one is that no one has it figured out, everyone does the sweaty running around thing (you just don’t see them!) and yet miraculously everyone is full of God’s grace, which is more than sufficient in all circumstances. Blessings and Love, Barb
Isn’t that the truth, Barb? I’m starting to learn that myself. No one has got this gig together, and it’s only by grace…
As I was reading this I kept thinking,”What?! Not graceful?! This one precious girl who always has a smile, who befriends everyone, and who ever sees the beauty in the ordinary? This one precious girl who lifts those who stumble and ever has a word of encouragement? This one precious Graceful girl who loves with fierce tenderness and dances with wild joy and whose ringing laughter lifts hearts – she has forever been full of grace!” : )
Oh, Mama. You are so good to me. I love you.
I can totally relate to this post. Love the “talk to the hand” photo of your daughter…she obviously has paparazzi fatigue!
Thanks, Chris. Funny, actually my little bean was walking a wall, trying to balance. But it totally looks like a photo backlash…I’ve received a lot of those in my day, though they’re probably just getting started with that phase of life.
And this is who we are: Full of love and favor that is given freely.
Yes! Thank you, Eyvonne.
I agree with your Mama…you may not feel graceful, but you most certainly are as you so freely give grace, love, & encouragement to everyone around you!
Thank you, Becca. Right back atcha, girl. So grateful for you.
I know how you feel, Mama! I really enjoyed this post. THANKS!
Thanks, M. Glad we’re on this journey together.
Ashley, I love this, and I love that I’m meeting you! Just reading your profile, I think you are full of grace! It seems so evident! And as a mama I understand what you mean…and I am so thankful the grace in the struggle! Blessings!
Thank you, Jacqui! So good to meet you, too. Sometimes I feel grace greedy, but I can never really know it enough. You know what I mean?
“Full of Grace”… that’s your writing:) xx
Thank you, Smidge. Such an encourager.
I love your definition of graceful: Full of love and favor that is given freely.
Let’s focus on that one! (And yes, we all do the sweaty-running around thing. You just don’t see us.)
Thank you, Jerralea. I should know better by now, shouldn’t I? That’s the problem with only being inside your own stuff…it’s too easy to forget that everybody else has theirs too. :-)
You walk in both grace and beauty. Your life is a shining example of contemplation and action and I loves ya!
Thank you, Uncle Don. I so appreciate your words. I love you, too.
Thank you for reminding us that grace is in the trying and the knowing and in the struggle too. That love is ours. That those who seem so graceful to us are not so different from us, but choose to do, like us. I wish that those 5 minutes hadn’t run out! Would love to hear more. As your friends and family can attest by knowing you, I hear the grace in your life, in your words and in your love for your family. :)
Thank you for your encouragement, e. You are so dear. And thank God for that grace that is ours.