swirl. drip. paint. draw.just…don’t wait.

She sits at the table. It’s mid-afternoon, the sun is finally streaming in, and she grabs a paintbrush.

Swirl, brush, draw, swirl.

I look over at her, at my little girl growing up, across the table. Her face is intent, so serious, as she determines just the right color to choose and what to draw next. She glances up at me and gives me that worried look — the look where she knows math should be next and yet she’s still painting.

Swirl, brush, paint. Draw the next thing.

I give her a quick smile, an encouraging smile, and go back to sorting letter tiles for Caleb’s reading lesson. We work across the table from each other each doing our own thing, each aware of the other, and yet content to sit in the afternoon peace.

Then I notice. I notice that she’s no longer alone. A crowd has gathered around her as she paints away. First one brother, then another, and then one more. They’ve all gathered around to watch her create — Pooh and piglet and flowers. Again, another glance at me, and then this time, I tell her paint away Gracie.

Just paint. Just draw.

I go back to sorting {in between snapping some pics} and in that sorting I begin to ponder life and the lessons found in some watercolor paints and a pencil. We all have a story, some talents that we’re aching to share, to learn, to create just like Grace wanting to paint mid-day. Often we just need that little bit of permission to move forward and take a snippet of time developing those gifts.

Just write.
Just create.
Just garden.
Just draw.
Just blog.
Just sculpt.
Just run.
Just read.
Just…

Until those moments, it’s easy to paint, to create, under the radar just like Grace. Sneaking in that free time when we think we should be doing something else. But, moms, wives, friends, there is always something else that we should be doing. Those lists that we have don’t ever really end — laundry, cooking, driving, and more — and because of that we need to carve moments to create. To cultivate our gifts without the mumbled apologies because we think we should be always be doing something else. Just like Gracie with that math.

Here’s the deal. God gifted you. When you cultivate your talents, your gifts, you become a better mom. So, if you love to play the piano – find time to play the piano. If you love to write – find time to write. If you love to garden – find time to garden. Use those gifts – don’t bury them during these years. You don’t need to just wait with them while you mother. It’s a balance. Take some time. An hour, five minutes, something.

Your children will watch you grow the talents the Lord blessed you with.

Swirl. Drip. Paint. Draw.

Find time. Find time. Find time.

Just…don’t wait.
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Interested in my thoughts on homeschooling and raising highschoolers? Check out my post at Hip Home School Moms today called Honoring the Highschooler.