As a parent we all see things in our kids that make us tear up or fill our hearts with pride. We see them doing things that makes us laugh and then we see things we wish we never had. Over the years we forget these little moments. I was thinking about these "moments" the other day b/c I came across some pictures that I need to get into a scrapbook. Some made me laugh. Some made me sad. Some made me tear up. Some made me wish I could go back to the age they were at the time the picture was taken. I would tell myself to relax and enjoy them more. Being a parent is, without a doubt, the hardest job I've ever had. It makes you feel worthless, little, scared, pathetic, and downright lost at times. There are times that being a parent makes you feel joyful, pride, more love that you can ever imagine and downright happy. Sometimes the bad days outweigh the good days. Sometimes the good days make you feel like you've NEVER had a bad day! I love my children with an unconditional love they'll never know until they have children of their own. I fail everyday, but I gain more knowledge everyday in how God would want me to mother them. It is always my prayer that my children, no matter a good day or a bad, never doubt the love their father and I feel for them. There is never a day that goes by, not even a minute, that we are not thinking of how to be the parents they need us to be. It is my prayer that God would give us the wisdom, grace, love and compassion and to mold and teach Adam and I to be the parents he intended for us to be for Ethan, Braylin and Kaitlyn. They deserve that from us.
So, back to those little moments that fill our hearts with such emotions...
I love this picture of Braylin. There's nothing like being a carefree kid. This fills my heart with laughter.
Kaitlyn is full of life. She is always happy. This fills my heart with delight!
Ethan likes this pose. I have noticed through the years I have several of this pose. It's funny when I see them all together b/c he has changed in such dramatic ways throughout the pictures. This fills my heart with nostalgia.
Until next time,
Reb
When I worked on The Odd Life of Timothy Green movie, there was a particular day on the set when the director, Peter Hedges, addressed a huge room of people. When you see the movie, it's the town hall meeting scene at the end. He gave a wonderful speech and I wish I had a copy of it. It was heartfelt and perfect to prepare all of us for what we were about to do. One of the things he said has stuck with me and I have heard him repeat it in interviews. It's not because I didn't already know it, I'd just never heard it said in quite this way. Maybe it will resonate with you. I thought of it immediately as I was reading this post.
ReplyDelete“I’ve come to believe that our children don’t belong to us, but that we belong to them.”
Maybe this quote would not mean so much to me if I hadn't heard it in the larger message he was trying to portray that day, I don't know. But I can tell you this...I wish I had heard it the day Lauren was born!
The things you mention in your post about relaxing and enjoying them more. Yes, I think all kids would say to their parents that they wish they would indeed do that!
It's never too late. Let's make a pact and start today. Thanks for the post, it was a great reminder.
Thank you for sharing that, Sandra. I love it! Love the pact too, let's do it and keep each other accountable! I'm a slacker and need accountability.
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