Dark Night of the Soul (7) – A SOPHIE sequel: Mirabai Starr’s “Yes” in parenting

(meet Sophie and her Ma in this prequel)

Yesterday, Sophie brought home her very own mule, the pretty one she had been eyeing at the livery since it appeared there 3 days ago. Her ma co-signed the moneylender’s contract. Today, Sophie steered her wagon through the estate’s gate, towed by the handsome beast. It was just a few hours before her shift at the weaver’s shop—her only sources of coin to make her debt payments…
.

Sophie stormed out of the shop before her shift even ended, exasperated by the intolerable state in which the morning laborers had left her loom, jeopardizing her job, and all of her debts linked to its wages.
.

…Sophie’s ma said her piece about the consequences if the shop’s supervisor sacked her for good. Ma doesn’t think that, as her mother, she needs to repeat herself: If she ‘feels’ her daughter right, Sophie, though stubborn and single-minded, gets it the first time, almost as if it were her own idea. So now they wait, to see where the marbles fall. To see if her daughter can rise to the maturity the occasion demands and retain her job at the shop, or take a new path. Ma will hold her own tongue and not dilute her initial words, despite how excruciating it is to resist more preaching. Sophie must find her own way, and Ma must let her.

Parenting is neither a test of wisdom, nor of patience. Parenting is a test of both, and more. Above all, parenting is a test of love.

Ma is thinking to herself:

“…This is not the first or the hundredth parenting challenge you have faced. If you actually — and not imaginarily — followed your heart to the counsel offered your daughter, it’s time to learn what being true to yourself means. Practice what you preach. You are not in control…

“The One who is in control has big plans for your mutual child. And people keep telling you how wonderful your child is so that you don’t have to rely on your self doubt. She will be OK..

“She’s in that One’s hands—-the One asking you to help, by acting first and foremost from the love that the One planted in your heart, so that you can recognize that you too are that One’s child.”

Love in the moment.

Sophie’s ma hopes that in every moment she can keep — as Mirabai puts it — saying Yes to that One’s love and example (read).

Meet Sophie and her Ma in this prequel.

Dark Night of the Soul (0) – Resources & Recommendations

Neil D. 2020-06-28