Do you remember what your view of parenting/motherhood was before you had kids? Or if you haven't been blessed yet, you probably have some preconceived notions about how parenting goes.
I remember some of my "Before I had kids parenting philosophy." My children will be perfect. They will mind their manners, eat all their food whether they like it or not, and not yell in public. I just knew that my future children would never be the crying child or have an incessantly irritating noisy toy during a long airplane flight. Neither would they be the ones who keep climbing out of the grocery cart or running down the aisles of the grocery store.
So, in my journey through motherhood, I vowed that I would not be that kind of mom. I would not be on the receiving end of those dirty looks or rolling eyeball from strangers. Did you ever think that way?
Well, my blog reading peeps, I have become that kind of mom. I have been the one who has had the deli guy come out of the counter to give my kids a piece of cheese so they'd finally stop making the irritating squeaky noise with the cart. The cart, of course, is the ginormous green monster that is darn near impossible to turn down the aisles. They love to ride in it, for about 10 minutes. Argh!
I have the kid who puts sand in babies' hair and pushes him down a little tube. Never mind the baby is almost as big as my daughter.
I'm the mom who drags around a bike, a tricycle, and a scooter to the track while my children run around like maniacs.
I'm the mom who boils the water, preps the tea cup, and maybe or maybe actually gets to pour the water in the cup, let alone drink it.
I'm the mom whose son throws a 30 minute tantrum because he won't sit still for 5 second dose of eye drops. Or who screams glass crackingly loud at the dentist or while getting a shot at the doctor.
I'm the mom who constantly struggles with patience every day.
But, I am also the mom who tries to love her children unconditionally, like God loves us. I want to be the kind of mom who teaches them God loves them no matter what and that God is the God of second chances (and third and fourth…). I wanna be the mom who fervently prays and intercedes for her children to be a man and a woman of God whom he uses to do incredible things. My son is smart and likes creating things. Maybe he'll grow up to the one who God uses to cure a disease. My daughter has no fear and is bold. Maybe she'll become an athlete and have the world as her audience to preach the gospel.
So, yeah, I'm that kind of mom.
7 comments:
This was a fantastic post Wendy...thank you.
I'd say you're a great mom! (And what? Those preconceived notions of having perfect children aren't a reality?? Eric and I better start rethinking the thought of future parenthood!)
Well said Wendy. Thank you for those words and encouragement!
Great post! I can empathize with every word you wrote.
Wendy,
Thank you so much for this post. It really made me stop and appreciate the real job God has called me to. So the next time David is pushing a chair across the floor and the screech of the metal on tile pierces my eardrum, like a hot knife thru soft butter, I will try to remember your words of encouragement. I will try to think how maybe he'll begin a Christian moving company and witness to all his customers. Or maybe he'll just be in a noisy Christian scream-o band. Either way I will continue to pray that whatever he does, he does it for the Lord.
Thanks again for the encouragement and keep being an awesome mom. You do a great job.
Great post, Wendy!! Keep up your photography and writing, you have a talent for both!!
And keep the humor in parenting...it will help later on, too! :)
I love this post! I want to write a book called, "I was a perfect mom and then I had kids." It's SO true. I have a degree in kids, for crying out loud & thought for sure I could have perfect kids! God has such a sense of humor!
Can't believe how big your babies are!
Post a Comment