Life lessons from Timon and Pumbaa

So with everything going to **** after coming home we, albeit hesitantly, accepted her offer to come over to her place for the rest of our stay. When she offered we were able to have a very open conversation, in which I stated that it felt very hypocritical for me to accept after all that had happened between us. I know I have caused her a lot of pain with the choices I have made and for her to open up her home was a big gesture. For which I am so immensely thankful!

Now I am not saying there haven't been moments where it felt like we were tiptoeing around each other or trying not to talk about the big elephant in the room while we were there...... but all in all our stay with her was really great. We have been able to have good long conversations and yes in those conversations I was still confronted with a lot of things. Not only literally by her opening up about the hurt I caused her but also by me seeing how much she has changed. 

Ironically the only real tense moment was one created by Niels making a remark on her response to Kevin. A short discussion followed by her reacting that what she did / said wouldn't hurt him and Niels (brave as he was in that moment) tried to explain that it wasn't building him up either. I guess that is just one of those things where we (and by we I mean everybody involved) should respect that everybody does it their own way. We as parents get to set the example for Kevin and respond in a way that we think is fit and best for him. Just like I am sure every parent (and grandparent) has the same intention. 

Raising Kevin while also facing my own childhood and growth process has been the greatest challenge and blessing at the same time. I believe I saw a qoute on instagram saying "re-parenting yourself while parenting your child is one of the hardest things you'll ever do" or something to that effect and I believe that to be true.

I do feel like this is a huge leap in the right direction, a step towards a future which I am looking forward to.

Which brings me to the title of this post. We have been watching "the lion king" A LOT with Kevin. Somehow this ended up to be his favourite Disney movie alongside Robin Hood and Toy Story. I think everybody remembers that iconic scene where Simba meets Timon and Pumbaa. The scene in which they explain to him that you have to leave your past behind you and off course "Hakuna Matata". 

Considering everything that happened but also the stage of life I am in right now nothing seems to be more true. 

The focus is one the future and although it seems like with every step I / we take things from the past get stirred up... we also see a lot of change in ourselves and the people around us. We are really gathering a "village" of amazing people around us. People who make for great conversation partners, who challenge us to look at things differently or who simply make us feel more at home than we ever have.

We have been taking some major steps towards our "American dream" and I can't wait to tell you more about that in detail when the time is right. These are exciting times and I can only say there is so much good to come.

For now this is how I'll leave you. I will write again soon!