UPDATED:
Hey gang, my humblest apologies for the misbehaving linky today. I heard they had a crash on their server and we’re all feeling the ripple effects. But the linky elves are trying to fix it and I hope it will be back to behaving properly again soon. In the meantime, feel free to leave your link in the comments. What you write is, after all, the heart of Five Minute Fridays.
Love and chocolate all around for your lovely patience!
~Lisa-Jo
Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays.
We finger paint with words. We try to remember what it was like to just write without worrying if it’s just right or not.
Want to play Five Minute Friday? It’s easy peasy! (<–-Tweet this!)
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Meet & encourage someone who linked up before you.
OK, are you ready? Give us your best five minutes on:
::
Loud…
::
GO:
He stares at me from the back seat with eyes hot, red, determined, defiant and desperate to be understood. I stare at him through the rear view mirror with eyes that echo his own blue exactly and match his mood perfectly.
I am just as angry as he is.
The only difference is that outright temper tantrums with the snot and tears and whiney mouth aren’t really navigable for grownups steering a minivan to school. I want him to just quit it. I want him to be rational. I want him to understand how mad he’s making me.
He just wants to wear the red striped shirt instead of the orange one.
Last minute battles when we’re all but out the door crush a day before it even begins. The rehab can take ages. Even when he’s finally found his way to a small island of calm and the teacher has hugged him and I’ve admired his sprouting bean, his eyes are still hot and we hug each other good-bye almost angry at how much we love each other.
The mother job is hard. Because every time I look his temper squarely in the eyes I see the reflection of my own. DNA surprises in all kinds of ways. The boy who was my 24 hour best friend just yesterday can unhinge me this morning in under five minutes.
We navigate these bumpy waters together – carefully. It is a hard crossing. I have to learn carefully when to yield and when to hold firm. The waves are unpredictable. And sometimes I have to shout into the wind, “I love you. I love you. I love you.”
STOP
OK, show me what you’ve got.
And once you link up, a little extra encouragement from me should pop up in your inbox!
Subscribers, you can just click here to come and play along.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
::
shout into the wind. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”
that was altogether lovely.
beautiful words you shed in 5 min. Thank you!
I loved how you described your morning with your son. Times like those are to be are treasured and learned from. It’s so eye opening when we realize how similar our children
are to us. Sometimes they are a mirror image.
It absolutely amazes me how I too, can become unhinged in five minutes flat by a person as tall as my elbow. Oh, how they humble me!
I’m new to this – have been reading them for a while and finally ventured into writing, posting on my blog and linking to you this past week for the first time. I’m wondering since it is just after midnight here and there are already so many posted here as I just checked to see what this week’s Word is… Do You post the Word ahead of time?
Lynden
http://aneleganttouch-lynden.blogspot.com
“I have to learn carefully when to yield and when to hold firm.” So true!
Ah, memories! Yes. And someday this will be among your memories, in all their mixed sweetness and bittersweetness. Thanks for this. It’s so mommy real!
Love this prompt and how it speaks in so many different ways to all of us!
Oh, how your post brings back memories of struggling with our younger, color outside the lines exuberant, live loud child! I never realized I had a temper until I had children. DNA does surprise, doesn’t it, many times in hold the mirror up to myself ways. :-)
We stumbled upon a book-Positive Discipline by Jane Nelson-when we were in the early years of “what doesn’t kill me will make me stronger” parenting and it was especially helpful in curbing some of the trying morning behaviors.
“Hi.”
Tension rippling over the airwaves. Taunt, static, volumes of unspoken words.
“Hi, how are you?”
“Fine.”
Loud, ear splitting innuendos of unmet needs, questions, hurt, and anger simmer just below the surface.
Your fine???? I’m not. I miss you. I want you. I need you. I can’t ‘do’ this anymore!
“When will you be home?”
” I’m going to be late. There’s another deadline….. I’m sorry….”
“I gotta let you go.”
Thundering in my head the words reverberate over and over again. “Gotta let you go”.
Father God, help me never let go of YOU. Help us as couples hold on to You so we will never let go of each other.
“Its me again.”
“Oh, hi.”
“I love you. And, wake me up when you get home. Okay?”
I feel like you’ve been listening in on my phone calls… :)
Shouting I love you to the wind… to my kids AND my hubby today!!
“Because every time I look his temper squarely in the eyes I see the reflection of my own.” Oh this has been my struggle ALL WEEK this week!! The mom guilt has been exploding with “it’s all my fault my kids are the way they are… they get it all from ME!”
So thankful for God’s grace in my life and theirs!!
Linking up for the first time here! Thank you for hosting!
It’s so nice to know that other moms can become unhinged by their little ones. Thanks for helping all of us feel less alone.
well, you know any of us who are real and mama’s can relate…my husband and I laugh whenever I make some declarative statement about the difficulties of our strong-willed daughter…he just looks at me and we laugh b/c it matches me perfectly…this push & pull, win & lose, but never really b/c somehow there’s always enough grace for all of us this whole messy journey through;}
OH boy can I relate to this one. I wanted to thank you for sharing this – the amazing feeling of ‘deep breath, I am not the only one who struggles here’ – that helps to lessen the load of guilt. Reading or hearing another mom’s perspective/area of struggle also sheds light on exactly where I need to pray. I am not sure that makes sense but it helps to climb out of my own mind for a minute, take a deep breath, pray and start over. Sunshine
PS I hope you have an amazing Friday!
isn’t it always over something as silly as the color of a shirt?! sheesh! i so understand this post!
my recent post: peace. be still.
Oh WOW, this post EXACTLY reflects my feelings this week–it was an especially rough one with my two determined little ladies (ages 2 and 3), and yes, the temper flare-ups were definitely worse on MY side. Thank you so much for your beautiful words; thank you SO SO much.
Hi Lisa! So excited to have met you in person at Blissdom and so glad to be back here to link up with youuuuuu :) My how the link up has grown since I was last here! it’s at least quadrupled-so AWESOME!
So many Blessings,
Sherri
Hiya Sherri – so glad you’re playing along today :)
“…desperate to be understood.” That may be a root of many conflicts, that need to be understood. Were there time in the day to stop and ask, “Why the red shirt? Why does that shirt mean so much?” So much depends on a red shirt ;-)
Blessings, and have a great weekend!
http://debrasblogpureandsimple.blogspot.com/2012/03/those-peculiar-people.html
I am facing some issues with the linking and posting comments. So I am sharing my link directly
http://scraps-from-life.blogspot.in/2012/03/loud.html
Regards,
Ruby
Sorry about the linky issues – I’ve heard other users around the web having some troubles today too. Links always welcome in the comments! :)
I haven’t been able to get the linky tool to work…I have tired 4 times now and it keeps saying it can’t connect…Can you help so I can add my post for today! Thanks!
I loved your post by the way…it was a great reminder about love
Sigh. Beautiful. Mothering is so painful, and wonderful.
Hmmm – Linky Tools seems to be having issues all over today. Here is my post: http://www.audrasilva.com/loud/
I remember those days, for the children and me as well! But I will say, there will come a day when we all miss those little ones, though we love the grownups that have blossomed.
Wait until till you have Grands! They are your reward for not resigning on “those days”.
My Blog today is about the Grands ( linky not working) dianewbailey.com – Laughing Out Loud
I always look forward to being with you on Friday’s. Thank you for opening you blog to us! ~Di
Oops. My first time, so I did the 5 minutes before I read the part about “no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.” :} (I fixed a couple of typos. Next time, okay?)
I always fix typos :) but, not grammar mistakes…those i leave. I also may cheat because I go back and format it by adding lines, spaces, and pictures :)
I tried to add mine to the linky and it won’t load the page to let me. So here’s mine:
http://www.thealmons.com/ccblog/?p=6189
Oh yes, the mother job is hard. It is amazing how much of myself I can see in my children, and I’m not talking about looks.
I’m so happy to jopin in Five Minute Friday!
Blessings :)
It wouldn’t let me link up. :(
But, here’s my post! :)
http://www.lovepouredout.net/2012/03/five-minute-friday-loud.html
What a fun experience. Thank you!
I couldn’t link up either, probably because I’m a newbie. But here’s my post.
http://shadowwonder.blogspot.com/2012/03/loud.html
Oh, I’ve been here many times. And I’m real good at grownup temper tantrums.
Something is awry with the link up.
http://sandraheskaking.com/2012/03/in-which-i-pin-a-bat-with-a-ragu-jar/
Sweet! Mothering is the hardest job in the world.
Linky is still being tempermental. Here’s my post.
http://cariboucrossingchronicles.blogspot.ca/2012/03/loud.html
LinkyTools had a Crash today – He just posted a note on the site and had sent me an eMail to my request… I thought I might be doing something wrong… It’s supposed to be back Up by sometime on Sat. – I’ll post the link to my article here as others have done…
Lynden
http://aneleganttouch-lynden.blogspot.com/p/5-minute-fridays.html
I’d posted a question last night, but do not see it here… Are the Words posted ahead of time somewhere, as when I checked at about 12:30 a.m. today, there were already Lots of links posted here… Wondering how one gets the Words, as I just started doing this last week – Thanks!
Hey Lynden,
Thanks for the update about Linky Tools. And the prompt goes live with the post each Friday at 12am EST. I think it’s the west coasters who jump in then and start posting their responses right away :)
http://wp.me/p29UZK-7g
just in case the linky’s not still up :-)
Here’s the link to my take on “Loud”:
http://tracinggrace.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/loud-five-minute-friday/
Blessings on you this weekend,
~Julie
Here is my link to “Loud”. Have a wonderful weekend! :)
Jen
My view of Loud. Enjoy!
I have one like this! I’m convinced he has all the boy testosterone AND lots of girl hormones. He shouts phrases (through tears) like, “You ALWAYS…” and “I NEVER…”
http://www.satisfiedbyhislove.blogspot.com/2012/03/5-minute-friday-loud.html is my link today. So crazy that I wrote something totally opposite of what I imagined when I saw the word loud. Funny how that happens…
Still getting the Linky crash message….bet they are having a BAD weekend! :( Here’s my link…http://laurarath.blogspot.com/2012/03/let-truth-speak-loudly.html
How beautifully you wrote and brought back my memories of those hard, loud moments with sons. Loved it. Here is my link for loud…http://brookemcgillivray.wordpress.com/2012/03/24/five-minute-friday-loud/
Fantastic post! As usual, you put into words what I have felt so many times. You are incredibly talented and I enjoy so much, reading your work.
Here is my 5-minute Friday post.
http://joycannis.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/five-minute-friday-loud-5/
Hope the linky heals soon! :)
Here’s mine:
http://littlepinkhouse.net/2012/03/loud/
Here’s my post: http://rjbradley.blogspot.com/2012/03/embracing-loud.html
I can SO identify with seeing my own personality (good traits and not so good) in the eyes of my kids. You put it into words perfectly. I really love reading your blog. Thank you for sharing.
Here’s my link to LOUD! Just One More Part of My Life
http://lauriesnotions.blogspot.com/2012/03/loud-just-one-more-part-of-my-life.html
LOUD – Birds of Spring
This is my first time participating and I’m hoping to make it a weekly thing! Thanks!
Yay, the linky works again! I’ve got my kids into the act now too and it’s so much fun seeing how they work with the word.
Thanks!
Shouting into the wind that I love her would be so much easier if I weren’t the one making the loud and angry wind.