Don't Forget to Say 'Thank you!' book review

Don't Forget to Say Thank You: And Other Parenting Lessons That Brought Me Closer to God by Lindsay Schlegel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"Stop whining." That's what God has to keep telling me repetitively and that's one of the phrases Lindsay Schlegel unpacks in this ode to understanding a bit of what God goes through as a parent.

I wish I reflected on how cleansing and self-sacrificing motherhood is in the moment, rather than in regretful moments after I let frustration or despair take over. But I'm the sinner and God is Love. The author wrote nicely about the difference and the similarities from which we can learn while living our role as parent. She uses oft-repeated parental phrases ("Don't forget to say 'Thank you,'" "Stop whining," "Wait a minute," etc) and shows how they apply to our lives as God's children. "What if I don't want to 'wait a minute,' God?! What if I want it RIGHT NOW?!"

It helps with empathy, yes, but Schlegel's objective is clearly more so that we can picture ourselves in that role of child again. This way, we can more easily let God provide for us through His will and in His all-knowing way. That letting go feels impossible sometimes, but if we can step back and take small sips of life as dedication to that calling, as Schlegel suggests, we'll improve.

I enjoyed the anecdotes and the way I was pulled into the comparison between my parenthood (or really, more so my experience as a teacher, as my daughter is only one year old as I write this) and my daughterhood. For example, guess at what time I read the chapter about how we make sure our children get enough sleep, while staying up too late or skipping the sleep we so desperately need? 4 am. Because I decided I wasn't going to be able to fall back asleep and so I just got out of bed. God's whispering, "Go to bed."

Some of the unpacking was a little direct, rather than guiding. The book is a good set of experiences from the perspective of one woman and I could see it being a choice for a Catholic women's book club. The reflection questions and prayers in the back of each chapter would make that fruitful! Thank you to the author for using her time and talents to give voice to what many women think, feel, and need to hear!

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