Welcome back to the Confessions series! If you are wondering what this is all about check out the intro page to Confessions of an Imperfect Mother to read all about it and find links to all the fabulous posts thus far in the series! Today, the beautiful Gabrielle from MamaGab is sharing one of her confessions with us! I hope you enjoy!
I would’ve picked any color but that one.
In fact, if I would’ve known what color she would choose, I would’ve never told her she could pick any color of nail polish she wanted. I thought she’d pick pink. Isabelle always picks pink. It’s her favorite color. Purple would’ve been great too.
I told her she could pick any polish on this one certain shelf, the shelf with the polish that dries in 60 seconds. That’s about how long her little 4 year old body can sit still while her nails dry.
And she picked yellow.
Yellow?
I don’t paint my finger nails. If I get a manicure, which pretty much never happens, I go with a classic french manicure. My toes are usually some shade of pink. When I go to deliver my baby boys, I always get a blue pedicure, but otherwise, they’re pink. Lately, I’ve pushed the envelope with some of the trendier Essie colors, in my effort to know what’s in style again. But my boring classic nail polish colors always reflect my conservative, modest, and somewhat reserved personality.
And this yellow? It reflects her personality too, her sunny disposition. The sunny Isabelle with a flair for the dramatic who loves speaking in a British accent and singing songs everywhere she goes.
That’s her.
It’s not me.
I try to squeeze her into the Gabby mold, the mold that says little girls should have baby pink nail polish, maybe with some glitter, and maybe, just maybe, we’ll go with hot pink some days when we’re feeling spunky. It’s the same mold that wants her room clean, instead of having 20 shoes strewn out in a line, with little figurines sitting in every single one of them. “It’s a train, mommy!”
She is creative. I am not.
I love who I am. I love who she is. And she is not me.
I remind myself of that all the time. I see little parts of me inside of her, the side of her that loves to help around the house, that loves caring for the baby, and even the side of her that sings show tunes sometimes. She gets that from her mommy.
But I need to love the little person that God created her to be instead of pushing her to be more quiet, more still, and more me. She is, after all, only 4.
Four years old, with yellow fingernails and yellow toe nails, because mommy believes in keeping promises. And mommy promises to let Isabelle be Isabelle.
What was the last time you tried to control one of your children in an area that really didn’t matter?
When she’s not tripping over toys or cleaning up spit-up, Gabrielle Daigle blogs about authentic motherhood, walking with God, and all things related to homemaking. She loves baking, learning from other women, and encouraging moms through serving locally in MOPS (Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers). You can follow her blog MamaGab
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Erica {let why lead} says
Beautiful, Gabby! I’m inspired to take a closer look today at when and how I try to fit my boys into the Erica mold. Best to you!
Stephanie says
Ohhh how I love this post. I have two little girls. One more like me and that doesn’t work all the time and one less like me and that doesn’t work all of the time. :) I am constantly growing out of trying to make them do and be something or someone other than who they are….to be more… “normal”. They are creative, very imaginative and so playful.
L:ove this post!!!
Keri @ Growing in His Glory says
Great post, Gabby. I had a similar situation last summer with my 4 year old daughter. She wanted orange nails, and everything in me said “no” but I had told her she could choose any color she wanted, so Mama had to keep her word. And I did. We do have to let our kids be their unique selves as long as what they’re doing is in keeping with God’s Word. Yet it is hard when WE don’t get them. But I just remember how proud and happy my daughter was with her bright orange nails and I smile.
Thanks for that reminder that I don’t need to make my kids like me. What a boring existence we’d have if we were all the same!
Keri
Chaunie says
Great post, I love this! My girls insist on painting their nails, every one of them, a different color. ;)
Kate @ Teaching What is Good says
SWEET!!! Raising our children “in the way they should go”, or according to their bent, is learning to let GOD’S design of their spirits be filtered through HIS Spirit. Definitely hard sometimes when OUR bent is so different. This is a delightfully sweet post. Thanks for sharing it!
Amy Sullivan says
When was the last time I tried to control in an area that didn’t matter? Ohhhh, easy. All the time. Good lesson to remember. Bring on the yellow nailpolish!
Shell says
Aw, the yellow is sweet!
A Little R & R says
Oh – I confess, I tend to micromanage a lot. :( And I know this will be a battleground for me when my kids grow older. My parents handled this so well – I pray I am half as good as they were at letting them go.
Jennice says
Can I first say that yellow is also my favorkte color and I’m currently rock a set of yellow and purple acrylic tips,so I’m already in love with Isabelle. Secondly, my youngest niece’s name is Isabelle. And last but not least, my Bubba is 5yo and sometimes I have trouble letting her be her. She’s got my oddball ways,which I love but unlike me she’s super girly. She insists on weafing dresses at the first sight of warm weather. My mother let me be myself and she’s teaching me how to let Bubba be herself.
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