A Stack of Books and A Full Bed

Staring at this blank sheet of white paper can be intimidating- waiting to be filled up with stories of adventures and thoughts of my choosing to share with the world and to hold close for my children’s distant memories.  Today, rather than sharing adventures and stories about our travels overseas, I will share the lessons that I have encountered while living overseas for the mere 3 months we have lived here..

Very few things are as intimidating as packing up your life and choosing to leave everything familiar thousands of miles away.  To land in a completely unfamiliar place with 12 faces of ladies you just met a mere 6 hours earlier.  Yet, nearly all of them became instant family.  It is odd how the most intimidating change has become the most satisfying and fulfilling change.

Most of the time, I have decided to approach each day without apprehension but with reward.  Meeting incredible people from all over the world, building ever-lasting friendships, traveling the world, but most of all, time with my family.  Every day, in reality, we are all powerless.  Here, I accept the powerlessness and realize that no matter where you are- there you are.  Your brain, your heart, everything that pumps through your veins travels with you.  I am always filled with happiness, joy, and love but being in Marrakech has ultimately allowed me the time to finally slow down.

My decision to move overseas was a combination of reasons, many incredibly close to the heart.  One of the most appealing and important is the hope that our life overseas will provide my children with a solid springboard to balance their own individual lives and when they encounter obstacles- they will then face them with grace.  Most of these lessons pertain to my children as these two have been greatly affected by our life overseas.  Let me begin with a story from tonight...

A stack of books piled high on the night stand and a bed with two children and a loved mom squished between.  Shoulder to shoulder, snotty noses, slimy kisses, and wiggly bodies.  Tonight, that is how we spent much of our evening... cuddling under the comforter, reading book after book.  Yet, somewhere between books, this conversation took place between my two kiddos:

Happy: "Chaddy, your ears." (As she pinched them)

Chaddy: "La shukran Happs." (Hmmmm... now my son is speaking to my daughter in Arabic)

Happy (pinching Mommy's nose): "Hahahahaha, Mommy's nose."

Chaddy: "Maybe mom needs to get out of bed so you will sleep Happy.  Mom, I will take care of her. Go."

Ok, when did my kindergartner become an adult?!  I really have to work on my expectations for him.  Make him a little more irresponsible :)  My heart was full lying in bed with my two kids.  Only one person was missing, and we miss terribly.  I am sure that those of you at home are excited to have Mr. F home, but we struggled to say our "see you soons."  Soon enough we will get to wrap our arms around him again!  Time needs to fly.

Ok, back at it... of course, that statement above is contradictory to the entire point of my post today.  For the past couple of weeks, I have had a full but heavy heart weighed down/up/sideways/diagonal with general thoughts on life.  I have felt compelled to share them with you.  Some, you may certainly agree or find inspiring.  Others, you may struggle to connect or understand purely because I would have before I packed up my family and relocated half way across the world.

1. Life here in Marrakech has taught me at least one crucial aspect of life: slow down. 

Unfortunately, Mr. F has been telling me this for years, but I didn't feel like I had an option.  Life just wasn't ever going to slow down.  T-ball, groceries, work, more work, more work, errands, and more errands... life didn't leave me much time to just be.  To just be with my children.  To just be with Mr. F.  As soon as I caught up on my to do list, more needed to be jotted down.  I was losing my sense of self in the crazy of life.  Who is Lexie?  Who is Mom?  What are my roles and what do I WANT my roles to be?

2. As I ask myself that last question, Morocco has really allowed me to choose my role-- most of the time.

 

 I still have work.  I work my tooshie off just like I did in The States, but with less kids, an assistant and an amazing teaching partner we have managed to make head way on math plans, social studies plans and writing plans for nearly the remainder of the year.  Yes my teacher friends, minimal lesson plan writing because I actually have time to prep and prepare my lessons fully.  Units of study-- integrated learning.  Teaching with passion- one of the roles I choose to have.

3. The most fulfilling role is where I began my post.  My children. 

I am not merely the mom that only chauffeurs, cooks and cleans anymore like I did in The States.  I am a mom that packs clothes to travel, sits and reads children's books, paints pictures, makes paper Christmas trees, watches Mary Poppins, bakes cookies, walks everywhere, teaches foreign languages, and shows her children the world.  I feel like one of the most fortunate mothers on Earth. 

4. Take Snapshots.

I do mean to literally take snapshots.  Pull out the camera and take pictures of each and every moment you want to engrain into your memory.  The smiles, the games, the tears, the discoveries.  Take snapshots... attach your camera around your neck so when your children are flipping through old family photos, they can find that rare comfort.  However, I also do mean this figuratively.  Take mental snapshots so you can look at your life and appreciate what you are living and experiencing NOW.  That way, you will always be living in a constant state of happiness.

5. If you love someone, tell them.

Don't spare those three words with those you love.  Tell them often, tell them when you feel it. 

6. One of the biggest lessons I have learned here is that EVERYONE is a hypocrite.

It sounds abrasive, but in no way do I intend for it to sound that way.  Approach the thought through this lens: We are all striving to embody particular values and images that we intend to display but sometimes the way we act conflicts.  So, the best way to handle hypocrisy is to forgive and move on.

7.  See the good in people.

How do you want to see the world?  Frame your mind to see people- strangers alike, how you would want them to see you.  In opposition, not everyone is going to like you and that is just fine.

8. Connect with humanity.

Mr. F displays this characteristic with grace, compassion, and generosity.  I have been watching and learning from him (although he doesn't really know I feel this way about him... shhhhhh... please don't tell him I learn A LOT from him:)).  The reward and satisfaction in merely casual kindness has taken as far in our travels abroad.  We have met more locals who have sacrificed and given from their own backs, even in the greatest of poor villages.  People here exercise the power of love.  We have made a conscious choice to interact with our community in this way and our hearts have grown immensely on this journey.  We will continue to cultivate kindness, especially in our children.

 

I can't honestly say this isn't EVERYTHING I have learned nor felt in our travels thus far, but is a great start. I just hope that when your head and your heart reach a point of exhaustion and overwhelming expectation reflect back on some of our stories and lessons we have learned.  Contemplate your legacy and where your head and heart truly want to lead.  If your heart is full and you have passion- keep going strong!  If it is not where you are currently at, deeply consider whatever leap it may be that your heart aches for and JUMP! 

 

 

XO 

 

Lex