Life.Simple.Perspective

Mother’s Day will be here soon so I thought I would share some of the things that I have learned in my 38 years of being a mom.  First, being a mom is one of the most important and rewarding jobs that we will ever have.  It can also be one of the most challenging and difficult jobs too especially if you are a single mom.  Children do not come with an instruction manual but common sense and instinct can get you pretty far.  Children are one of God’s greatest gifts and it is a privilege to have them entrusted to us.  Being a mom means doing the best we can at the time with what we know.  Words are powerful and we can make or break a child’s spirit with our tongue.  There are no perfect children; there are no perfect moms.  Each child is unique; they are prewired before they come into this world therefore we can’t expect all of them to act the same.  Sibling rivalry is real and sometimes it continues into adulthood.  There will never be a time when our children are involved in activities that they won’t look up at the bleachers or into the audience to see if we’re there.  Children desire to please their parents above all others.  Children love unconditionally and they are loyal to their parents even when it doesn’t make sense for them to be so.  When we hurt, they hurt too. Children never stop needing our love, support and encouragement no matter what stage of life they’re in. Children need for us to be fully engaged when they are talking to us; especially when they are young and showing us something new and exciting in their world. Children need for us to be their biggest fan; their #1 cheerleader. When they are young they need for us to kiss it and make it all better but they still need hugs and reassurance when they grow up too.  Children need stability at home; to feel safe and secure.  They need a soft place to land when the world gets tough. Children need to be able to express themselves and to develop their own unique gifts and talents.  Children do not need for us to be their friends; they need for us to be their parents.  We should never impose our own desires onto our children or overcompensate for what we didn’t have growing up.  Children would rather have our time and attention than stuff.  Divorce is hard on children and it changes the fabric of who they are.  Poverty makes children feel ashamed.  As our children grow older, their problems get bigger and more difficult to fix. Sometimes they can’t be fixed and it’s not our job to fix them even if we could.  As parents we just need to be there for them to help them pick up the pieces when their world falls apart.  If our children want our opinions they will ask; especially the adult ones.

My two children are my greatest assets. And you know what?  The best thing about being a mom is, if we screw things up too badly with our own children, at least we get a second chance to get it right  with our grandchildren. 

So pat yourself on the back for being a great mom (especially if you’re a single mom)!