Love Notes from Brita

If you need encouragement today, pretend your name is in the salutation, especially if you're a mom, or have some kind of help/nurturing call in life.

These are more love notes from my daughter Brita. She has the gift of words and expressing herself. They are priceless. They fill me with hope and help me remember it's a lifetime of small actions, the little things that matter. Love matters. Be blessed.

I hesitated to publish these in a post for fear you would think I was on a major bragging about myself spree. I published them anyways, because I desperately needed you and me both, to hear the voice of truth today. See, I'm not bragging, because I don't see any of these things in myself!  She does though, so sometimes I need to borrow what she thinks about me.


Also, it is vital for us to remember that it's while someone is alive, instead of at their funeral, when the words of acknowledgment, validation, appreciation do the most good. Hope these go straight to your heart: 


                                                   
"You can know the name of a bird in all the languages of the world, but when you're finished, you'll know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird....So let's look at the bird and see what it's doing--that's what counts. I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something."   Richard Feynman 

"Dear Mom,
Happy early Mother's Day. I can't even begin to express my gratitude for you being the wonderful mother that you are, for bringing me and Tessa up the way that you did, for teaching us the essential lessons in life, love, relationships and growth, instead of teaching us that 'knowing the name of a bird in all the languages of the world' knowing 'facts' was important. I cherish the unique knowledge that you have helped me gain. I respect, love and look up to you so much, and when I look at the kind of wife and mother you are, I see so many ways that I want to be just like you, a Godly, compassionate, inspiring, captivating woman, with an abundance of love and grace. I love you so much, and hope you have an amazing time on your trip.
Love,
Brita Rae"




"She had an unequalled gift...of squeezing big mistakes into small opportunities. Kobi Yamada"

Mom, I love you much. There are no words to express how grateful I am, that out of all the women in the world, you are my mom. I love the way you love me. I love your merciful heart. I love that no matter what is going on in m life, I know that you are ALWAYS there for me, to hold me when I  cry, or listen to me when I am overcome with happiness. There has not been one day of my life that I didn't know, and feel loved by you. Thank you for constantly forgiving me, for pushing me to grow, and for always letting me be creative. It has been the most incredible blessing to be raised by a loving, imaginative, Godly woman; I know that I owe who I am becoming to the way I have watched you be, a strong and vulnerable truly beautiful mother and wife. I love everything about you, but most of all, I love and appreciate all of the extremely wonderful life lessens that you have taught me. The little things, that I know will be valuable tools, now, and later on in life. I love that you have shown me through your actions, that there are no mistakes, that everything can be fixed. Seeing your persistence has made me love to be creative, because I know that it is OK to make mistakes; whatever it is - I/we can make it work. I love you so much, thank you for being an honest and passionate (re)model  ( I think she meant role model) in my life and a loving and nurturing mom.
Love,
Brita"


Mom,
You don't need to change the world, you've changed my life. The best of you...things I have seen in your life that have changed mine:

A hopeful spirit. Where to start? The thing that I've always loved most about you is your ability to turn any accident into an opportunity. You have taught me not to look at a mistake as the end of something,
but as the creation as something better than the result of perfectly followed directions could have ever produced. Not only have you helped me apply this lesson to the creative things I do, you have also taught me how to relate it to my real life experiences, to take every "failure" and learn from it, to better myself by learning what works and what doesn't. It is so weird that something so small as a saved sewing project can speak so passionately to my soul and make me want to inspire someone as you have inspired me.

A forgiving heart. If I had to choose one of your qualities that has affected my life the most, it would be your ability to forgive. I always know that no matter what I do, you will forgive me before I even ask. When I mess up you are the one person I always know I can go to, even though you are disappointed, I never fee judged by you, you just listen and encourage me to learn from my mistake.

A vibrant mind. You have challenged me to think, really think, to go deep inside and process, love pain and my experience. I think I could get so caught up on the outside stuff if I didn't have you in my life to help me take a step back and re-prioritize my life every now and then. I love your ability to think and the way you have taught me to do the same. Thank you for caring more about and investing your time in the woman I will become, and the relationships I will have in my life and my relationship with God, than math or Washington State history.

You will never fully understand the difference that you have made in my life, and in the lives of others. You dream of changing the world, of being a warrior, but you have been blessed with the gift of encouragement, you save people everyday, whether by a hand written note, to bring hope and the knowledge of appreciation, or by a cup of coffee and a word of wisdom, or by listening to someone vent and letting them know that they matter, by being completely interested in what's going on in their life. I  have seen you be so broken, and so low, but you still care about everyone else, when you are weak, you share hope with others. Your ability to take what God gives you and give it to others is what makes you a hero in my eyes. you have changed the lives of more people than you'll ever know, just by listening, loving and sharing hope.

Even though it's not time for me to fly yet, when it is, I know I'll be prepared to tackle relationships, mountains and maybe even the world, because you have taught me that if I pursue any dream it can be a reality.
Love,
Brita"