Napoleonism

"Let him sleep... for when he wakes, he will move mountains" - Napoleon Bonaparte

This past weekend I boldly scripted this quote on my 3 month old son's wall. I think I first came across the quote on Pinterest, so it is obviously not a rare find, but it really struck a chord with me.

Bluntly used, the words certainly fit well over an infants crib, as infants do by nature slumber; but upon researching the origin of the quote I found that it was an adaptation of historical phrasing originally spoken by Napoleon, "Let China Sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world".

As a mother, these words just seem to captivate me. I think everyone has some form of "words to live by," some sort of proclamation that saturates their soul. This is how I hope to raise my three boys. For me this quote embodies a philosophy of trusting your child to just be... "Let him sleep," meaning let him be whoever he is destined to become. Free him from encumbrance and expectation. "For when he wakes," when he deems himself learned, worthy and masterful, "he will move mountains," he will undoubtedly astound.

I am so convicted to these beliefs. I think as a parent I can only hope for my children to be comfortable in themselves. I hope that I am able to model in a way that exudes unshakable confidence, constitutes invulnerable trust and bestows unconditional love, for with a backbone such as this, my children cannot fail.

Call me an idealist...

Call me an idealist if you will, a romanticist, a dreamer. I have been such my entire life, at least as far back as I can remember. As a child I would sit perched at my window, fabricating in intricate detail the tale of my adult life. You might think this quite ordinary, as I assume most young girls fantasize about marriage and children (simple house play), but somehow I always felt different. I was sensitive, wondrous, intrigued with philosophies and truths that stretched far beyond my years.

Fast forward twenty years later and here I am... still a dreamy-eyed girl, but as I grew up have realized that as righteous and ambitious as I attempt to be, reality can be incessantly stark. I often wonder if there are others out there who consciously try to, well... do better, be better. Are there still people who protest tradition, who shake the walls of normalcy and who believe in themselves enough to forage their own path when no one stands behind them? I find that these individuals are few and far between. I hope that for those reading, this blog inspires you (and me) to honestly evaluate who we are and come to a realization of who we want to be. We can close the gap, its just... hard.

I know this blog will become my mental retreat, a place for me to document all of my efforts in defining and upholding some sort of self-standard... distinguishing ideals for myself and my family to live by, the daily struggles that get in the way and how to push through to really become a person that I am proud of.