On our flight home Monday, one of the flight attendants on board attempted to steep a hot pot of tea. She commented to another attendant nearby that for some reason, the water did not seem to be getting any stronger. This little incident made her remember a particular quote (by Eleanor Roosevelt) and she repeated it aloud several times:

I’m sure Eleanor Roosevelt faced a lot of “hot water” or difficult situations in her life time and no matter what kind of woman she was ultimately, it does seem she was strong, resilient. I don’t know what this means for me exactly… but I do think that perhaps I am often like that slowly steeping tea the flight attendant was preparing. It takes me a long time to surmount obstacles but once I do, I do. Especially now as a mom, every day seems to bring with it boiling points of one sort or another. I am left with the choice to either shrink back in fear or persevere, grow and learn to be a source of strength to my little family.

So when I have a particularly difficult day with Micah or find myself in the thick of the “mommy wars” or generally feel defeated, it is helpful to remember those tea bags. One may take longer than another to really penetrate that hot water but eventually, all will prove their strength!