Dive into a reflective conversation on 'Raising Boys & Girls' where Sissy Goff, David Thomas, and special guest Sara Hagerty unpack the challenges of parenting during times of adversity. Sara Hagerty shares her personal struggles with letting go of expectations and the journey to find contentment amidst life's uncertainties, such as illness and hardship. The episode delves into the hard-earned wisdom of trusting in a higher plan and the peace that comes with accepting life’s divergent paths, emphasizing the need to release the predetermined milestones we set for our children.
Amidst the discussion, the importance of surrendering control as a parent takes center stage. The speakers explore the emotions parents face when confronting unmet expectations and limitations. From processing feelings of disappointment and anger to embracing life's realities versus personal ambitions, this episode offers insights into finding growth through surrender. Sara also shares her battle with infertility, challenging the conventional notions of productivity and self-worth, as she opens up about finding value beyond achievements. Listeners are invited to appreciate the enchantment of youth through the eyes of children, as the podcast underscores the significance of preserving innocence and joy in the early stages of life.
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Sara Hagerty discusses the difficulty in letting go of the expectations parents have for their children, particularly during their teenage years. She addresses the need to release the predetermined paths envisioned for them. Emphasizing the importance of trusting in God's plans, Sara highlights that accepting divine plans, especially when they deviate from personal hopes and dreams, is crucial for finding peace during challenging times, such as illness or hardship.
In conversation with David Thomas, Sara Hagerty dives into the emotional complexities of parenting when confronted with unmet expectations and the necessity of surrendering control. They touch upon the importance of naming and grieving disappointments and limitations, as well as processing difficult emotions like anger. Acknowledging that limitations can be both a source of grief and a gift, they consider the significance of reconciling personal dreams with the reality of a child's life circumstances. Through this process, parents can find transformational growth and an opportunity to meet God within the struggle.
Sara Hagerty explores the internal conflict between productivity and self-worth, particularly when accomplishments are elusive. She shares her experience with infertility and how it revealed to her the risk of becoming 'soul sick' from focusing too much on unfulfilled desires. She describes how hardship led to a deeper understanding that self-worth is not dependent on constant activity. Sara experimented with a "productivity fast" to discover contentment outside of achievements, ultimately finding that her value in God's eyes remained unchanged, even without a list of accomplishments.
Sara Hagerty expresses her appreciation for the beauty and innocence found in the early years of childhood, filled with curiosity, wonder, and simple joys. She reflects on how children engage with the natural world, with activities such as collecting acorns or climbing trees, encapsulating their innate enthusiasm for life. Hagerty emphasizes the importance of valuing and protecting this innocence before the complexities of adolescence and adulthood take hold, portraying these years as a unique time of exploration and enthusiasm.
1-Page Summary
Sara Hagerty talks about the difficult realization during her children's teenage years that she had unconsciously mapped out a predetermined path for them. The challenge she discusses deals with releasing that vision.
Sara reflects on the struggle any parent faces when confronting the fact that their unspoken plans for their children's lives might not align with reality. She acknowledges that as parents, letting go of these predetermined outcomes is tough but necessary.
Through her experiences, Sar ...
Finding God and Contentment During Seasons of Illness or Hardship
Sara Hagerty and David Thomas delve into the complex emotional journey of parenting—particularly when facing unmet expectations and the need to surrender control.
Parenting often comes with a set of dreams and expectations for a child's life. However, life can present unforeseen limitations and challenges that require a reevaluation of these expectations.
Sara Hagerty shares her emotional voyage from dealing with infertility to parenting seven children, four with traumatic backgrounds, and grappling with her 10-year-old son's Lyme disease. Throughout these experiences, she's faced numerous limitations, and like many parents, she faced the internal struggle of reconciling her dreams for her children with the reality of unexpected limitations.
Hagerty and Thomas discuss the unrecognized barriers that stand in the way of dreams, in Hagerty's case, the dream of motherhood. Hagerty's story highlights the universality of encountering such barriers, and Thomas adds the perspective that while limitations can be seen as a gift, they require a grieving process to appreciate their value fully.
Hagerty discusses the difficult emotions that come with parenting, like fear and anger, especially when a child is ill or a parent is faced with their limitations. She underlines the importance of acknowledging and naming these limitations to begin to see them as a gift.
David Thomas recounts the story of a mother who adopted a child under difficult circumstances and found herself feeling angry with God when faced with challenges despite doing something as profound and difficult as adoption. Hagerty suggests that feeling ang ...
The Concept of Surrendering Control as a Parent
Sara Hagerty explores the internal struggle related to the desire to be productive, and the challenge of finding self-worth and contentment outside of accomplishments.
Sara Hagerty speaks candidly about her own internal struggles when her life wasn't stacking up to others, particularly during her period of infertility, which brought about feelings of limitation and discontent. Hagerty introduces the concept of becoming 'soul sick' as a risk when one focuses excessively on unfulfilled desires. She contemplated how her self-image, and even how God viewed her, was linked to her productivity, highlighting the uncomfortable realization that our self-worth is not inherently tied to tasks and busyness.
Hagerty delved into her history of working hard to overcome or sidestep difficulties and revealed that hardship can sometimes be as unavoidable as "summer school." She discovered that during challenging times, she found a deeper connection with God and herself, reminiscent of the sense of freedom and fun from her childhood. This led her to the idea that true contentment goes beyond focused outcomes or accomplishments.
To better understand contentment, Hagerty experimented with a "productivity fast," intentionally curtailing her activities during typically productive hours of her day. The purpose was to observe how she felt when not in the constant pursuit of accomplishing tasks. Sissy Goff adds to the conversation by reflecting on the profundity of joy after sorrow, suggesting that processing grie ...
Productivity and the Desire to Feel Valuable Through Accomplishments
Sara Hagerty celebrates the early years of childhood, a period brimming with curiosity, wonder, and simple joys that define the innocence of youth.
In her reflection, Sara Hagerty expresses admiration for the boundless wonder and imagination of young children. She reminisces about how they relish the natural world by engaging in activities like collecting acorns, digging for worms, and climbing trees—acts that embody their curiosity and appreciation for the environment around them.
Hagerty speaks to the significance of these pre-teen yea ...
The Beauty and Innocence of the Early Childhood Years
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