The Hats We Wear

After our prayer retreat, all the women in our mission went out for a one night get away to a nearby lodge. We ate good food, enjoyed fellowship, played games, and laughed. Laughter is so good for us! Our theme for our time away was "The Hats We Wear."

Many of us could finish this sentence, I am??? in several ways. We often times find our identities in the many roles we fill or the hats we wear.

How many times have you felt that you were simply spread too thin over too many situations? It is not surprising that we often feel that way. We each wear many hats within one day.

There is the hat of the child-like qualities of innocence and joy. This is the hat we wear when we look at the world around us and enjoy each moment, or listening to the sound of birds singing or flying across the sky.

The hat of worry and sorrow is probably the heaviest hat to wear. This is when we become hopelessly lost in the problems of the moment or deep despair or the sorrow of loss.

The hat of the teacher is one that we all wear. Whether that is our profession or we are teaching our children. We also wear this hat when we demonstrate or teach a skill to adults. Sometimes this hat feels far too large as we begin to realize that what we are teaching can affect many lives in many ways for many years.

The hat of compassion, empathy, sensitivity, love and kindness looks very much like the hat of the teacher and yet, in some ways resembles the hat of child-like qualities. Each time we offer a small act of kindness - what we might consider 'the right thing to do' - we are wearing this hat.

What does your hat look like? Is it well balanced so that a gust from the Winds of Surprise will not knock it off? Do you change your hat often? There is nothing so forlorn as a hat that is battered and rumpled because it has become unbalanced from being worn too long or a hat that simply sat on the shelf, unworn.

Here are some of our hats that we as wives, mothers, and missionaries wear:

Mother, nurturer, teacher, tutor, spiritual leader, maid, cook, chef, baker, cake-decorator, nurse, scout, personal-trainer, example, organizer, party-planner, singer, mentor, guide, cleaner-upper, librarian, banker, accountant, computer expert, question-answerer, driver, appointment-maker, hug giver, hair-cutter and stylist, motivational speaker, nature specialist, clothing guru, nose-wiper, listener, therapist, home-work helper, chore-chart maker and enforcer, shopper, puzzle-putter-together, cheerleader, ball-thrower and catcher, gardener, weeder, referee, neighbor, friend, peacemaker, and ..... bedtime storyteller.

I can't really share what each hat represents below, you can just use your imagination.

Niki

Dawnya

Lindy

Geri

Suzie

Mary

Sonja