"Proud of You..."

I've been wanting to write about this for awhile ... I remember it vividly. I hear it in my head over and over and over. My dad hugged me tightly. So warm, so loving, so tight ... I just wanted to burst into to tears. Sometimes hugs do that. I had just endured 24 hours of travel, as a single mommy, in order to bring our little ones home. Exhausted, yes. Elated, yes. Excited, oh yes! But as I made my rounds upon our airport arrival, I approached my dad, he held my face and said "I love you honey. I am so so proud of you. You did it ..." (I cannot even write this without tears.) Those words play over and over in my head. My dad kept saying it "You did it. All on your own. I commend you."
When I left for Ghana, I simply didn't know if I was coming home with our children or not. As my survivor skills set in and the days played out we were blessed to be home within a week. Was I scared to travel home alone with two young children who had never set foot in an airport, let alone a plane? Not scared, but nervous. I remember being giddy to be home, excited to be where things were familiar ... to be with my family and friends. So elated to have everyone finally meet Anita and Maxwell. I don't think we always feel our exhaustion. And sometimes the exhaustion can be displayed in different ways but as we rode down the escalator there stood our family and friends! There stood my support, my prayers, and the love surrounding me. I vaguely remember people saying "you must be so tired." I don't remember feeling tired. And I don't remember feeling accomplished. But when my dad said those words they have seeped into my heart and embedded themselves strongly. My dad was proud of me! He really really was. He wanted me to be proud too. I did it - my mission was accomplished and I physically did it by myself. Reflecting has made me realize how important and how much it means to tell our children we are proud of them. There is something in those words ... something takes hold deep in our hearts and fills us up. We radiate with joy .. we radiate with a sense of purpose. "Proud of you honey ... very very proud of you!"