PARENTAL ADVICE
A few weeks ago I able to sit down with Michelle,
my new friend and the director of the camp that my
daughter now attends. I asked her about how she got
started in this type of work. It takes a person with great
character, an unbreakable spirit, and a heart overflow-
ing with love to do so. They are rare, these God-sent
people, and I thank Him every day for putting them in
our lives. A few of the things that Michelle had to say
touched my heart.
One of the first things she said was the only barriers
are the barriers we place on ourselves. Oh goodness,
ain’t that the truth? I was placing barriers on mine and
Lexi’s lives by not being willing even to consider the
possibility that a place like Saint Francis even existed.
Another barrier was that I was too afraid to let anyone
other than myself take care of my daughter. Finally,
and most importantly, I was holding my daughter back
from experiencing the world and growing. I thought
I was just protecting her, which I was, of course, but it
dawned on me that I was keeping her from growing
as well. That one hurt. More tears. I’m kind of an emo-
tional person if you haven’t figured it out by now. Ah,
well. It’s all part of the crazy package that is me.
My friend said one more thing that still makes me tear
up a bit when I think about it. (See? Crazy emotional
lady in aisle three. She’s opened up a box of tissues,
grabbed a fluffy blanket from household items, and
is dipping Oreos in a mug of milk while talking to her-
self. Oy vey.) Anyway, the second thing that Michelle
said which caught my attention was this: For as long as
she could remember, she has always been motivated
to push boundaries. It hurts her when she see