Thursday, July 21, 2011

Beautiful Mommy Thoughts

It doesn't matter how silly we feel or how unimaginative. It doesn't matter how much we have to put off, or that goes undone. Time spent playing in the floor with my children or rocking and reading to them will be moments I remember and cherish forever. I won't remember my status updates or notifications. I won't remember the series finale of the most talked about show.  The mess that I needed to clean up or the phone that needed to be answered. I will cherish "these" moments. The ones that so easily get pushed aside because we think we can get to it in 5 minutes. I'll remember the times that instead of running around trying to clean up around them, I got my children involved and we made it fun.  Even though it took longer I'll never forget how excited they were to help, just to spend time with me. 

...

It doesn't matter how silly mommy felt, or how bad she was at playing pretend. It doesn't matter that I can secretly tell that she doesn't really like playing dolls, even though she would never admit it.  :)  It doesn't matter when the phone rings off the hook and she doesn't get it. It doesn't matter that our home isn't constantly clean.

 It matters that she cherishes me! I won't remember all the different toys I was doted on with or the fancy shoes. I won't remember each outfit she so carefully picked out so that I could be handsome or pretty. 
I am grateful that she met my needs, but what I'll remember most is; she taught me Jesus.  She taught me memory verses. She sat down with me to read. She played on the floor for hours. She didn't manage our arguments from her laptop but from playing with us and role playing how we should respond in conflict.
I don't really remember all the practices she shuffled us to or all the lessons I learned at church, but I remember the conversations in the car and that what we learned at church was lived out at home.
I remember the conversations at the dinner table.
I will remember in school that she didn't expect me to get A's but she helped me to get A's.  I know that I am special and important because that's how my mommy treated me. I wasn't a constant interruption. Life was her interruption.


It's funny how I never regret time spent with my children. The times that I put my (immediate) self aside to play with them. I never regret it or wish I hadn't.  Things never flow smoothly nor do they happen quickly :)  but the happy, calm time when we step back take a breath and enjoy it, is never regrettable. 
Also, when we step back and approach situations calmly instead of always in a rush, things flow much smoother because our children are more calm.

I'm referring to the: getting home after normal bedtime and still needing to get the children a bath, brush teeth, read book and say prayers. You know "those times."  The more we cherish our time spent with them, they will cherish this time spent with us.

Our children will face alot of rejection in this world. I don't want their first taste of rejection to come from me because I was "too busy to listen".  Especially when they interpret that as "too busy to care". 

If I say I would lay my life down for my children, my life should display it more than I say it...


Joyful Mothering


#SOCsunday

3 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness! This made my eyes get wet! Thank you!

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  2. That time is so precious! There is a delicate balance of spending that time and not neglecting other responsibilities - I'm certainly still figuring it out! My favorite time is sitting by the window in my preschooler's bed long after bedtime when he just can't sleep. He tells story after story about people that drive by or that live near us. He's not even three yet! Oh, how I delight in those stolen moments together!

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  3. How sweet! Yes Audra for sure. Finding the balance is such a challenge! Thank you!

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