What Do We Want to Remember?
When I look at family photos from a few years ago, I remember those chaotic and messy days when I was at the centre of my children’s lives. I felt like those days would last forever.
Sometimes, that was good: I wanted to stay firmly in the love-filled middle of my delightful mothering life. But there were also days when I was overwhelmed and tired and felt like I was failing. How would my children survive my parenting? I occasionally wanted to run away from the responsibility of raising kids, but I couldn’t see any way out. I felt sure I would be seeing to the multiple needs of my children forever.
But, of course, time marches on. Although some days can seem long, the years are always short. They pass in a flash. Children grow. And we end up looking back, wondering where time went. Did we make the most of it? Did we appreciate the opportunities we had? Could we have done more with our kids? Did we let fear dominate our days? Did we love our children well?
How do we look back without regrets? Perhaps we need to live in the moment, extracting joy from each day, putting aside any fears. We could accept that we won’t be perfect parents. We’ll get tired and maybe want to run away, but that’s okay. We can still give our kids what they need: unconditional love.
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲
Slow down.
Look at your kids properly with your eyes and not through a lens and see how unique each one is.
Listen to them with full attention.
Hug them every opportunity you get.
At the end of the day, say, “I love being your mother! (father!) I enjoyed spending today with you.”
And refuse to let fear interfere with the joy of this precious time with your kids which won’t last forever.
I look at this photo of my youngest child and remember the giggles as she and her older sisters twisted their hair into alien lumps, hoping to produce headfuls of curls overnight.
Giggles erupting from happy kids: that’s what we want to remember, isn’t it?
