Feeling Seen

 Tell the story of Cameron and how in 4th grade it was a battle with him, his work and his teacher. He was constantly in trouble, in the office, and sometimes I had to pick him up. He was having full on meltdowns and I had been fighting for an IEP for years.

 

Finally Mandy, a student services teacher, saw how severe the problem was and took Cameron under his wing. He was cared, loved on, hugged. Seen. For the first time that year, he felt seen. Not ignored, not forgotten or made fun of by peers because a teacher didn’t stand in. He felt seen.

 

He began to progress ....so slowly. The damage had taken its toll and even at the end of the year, he still struggled. The teacher wasn’t making accommodations and he was required to do the same work in the same amount of time. It was rough. But he felt seen despite whether or not the teacher helped.

 

And it just made me think, how different would life be if we feel seen?

 

***

My parent have owned a timeshare in Destin Florida, right on the beach for over

41 years. The same families have been coming, week 19 and it almost always falls on Mother’s Day week. It’s really the best week of the year. There was a little group of friends I hung out with...since diapers. We’d swim together, hang out together at night, go to the beach together. As we got older and I got in my late teens, I saw a big split. They went out and partied and I stayed ...by myself. I felt so left out, so forgotten. The gap grew as I entered adulthood and especially parenthood. We barely hung out anymore. They were less in the party scene, but we’d grown too much apart and had no friendship foundation anymore. I didn’t know them and they certainly did not know me.

 

And despite it all, I would have loved to find some common ground with them. Would’ve loved to share with them about my life. Would’ve loved to return to the light silly days where we had no cares.

 

After one particular week at the beach, I came home emotionally spent. Feeling like they only saw me one way...as the good one, the churchy one, the quiet one, felt so exhausting. They did not see me at all. We always come back on Saturday and I’m literally crawling to church the next Sunday. But I go because not going is not an option for me. And do you know what...I felt so seen. Not just by my sweet ward family members, but by God. And I felt so loved and important to my Father in Heaven. And the year went on as usual, and the moment of being seen by friends passed.

 

Matt 6: 28-30

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

 

Matt 10: 29-31

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.