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Claiming my voice doesn’t negate my ability to be compassionate; acknowledging my needs doesn’t prevent me from caring for others – the opposite is true. Brene Brown writes in Daring Greatly that when doubt lurks behind our choices, our inner righteous critic will spring to life–because if we can’t be perfect, at least we can be better than someone else. Confidently choosing my own path doesn’t mean the chosen paths of others are wrong. I find joy and purpose as a working parent, but others thrive at home with their children; I need plenty of alone time to function, but others find life in crowds of people; I’m drawn to speaking for certain issues and others are passionate about different causes.

As women, let’s inspire one another to claim our individual voices, needs, and choices with confidence and to discover what is good and right for us, knowing that our compassion for ourselves enhances our care for others, following Jesus’ lead – even if it takes us to the cross.

This message is excerpted from “Needs of a compassionate parent” by Jennifer Hackbarth in the September 2015 Café online magazine.