A mother's prerogative...

I am always thankful when one of my boys arrives home safely after a weekend away.  Ben, 19, headed out to a weekend music festival straight after work on Friday and arrived home (safely!!) on Sunday - phew!

Freeway driving, patchy rain, alcohol, lack of sleep... etc...  all raise mum's stress levels! I was so relieved to see him home, albeit a little tired after under 5 hours sleep over two days!... oh to be 19.

...but somehow I don't think I will ever stop worrying about my kids. I guess that's a mother's prerogative.

Do what you thought you can't

Over 20 years ago I participated in a student exchange program to Colorado USA. I was a shy 16 year old who hadn't travelled outside Australia, and I headed to foreign country for six months, with several young people I hardly knew, to live with a family I'd never met!  I was terrified, and I thought I couldn't do it.

But my desire to be an exchange student was stronger than my fear. Ever since I'd heard of such a program I knew I wanted to do it. So I did! This entire experience, not just the six months overseas, had a profound impact on me and my life in the years that followed.

One of my favourite quotes is by Eleanor Roosevelt...

"We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop and look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot." 

What have you done that you thought you couldn't?