We Are Who We Choose

Often in life, we look at someone and say, “I’m not going to end up like that person.” Or “I’m going to do better than what I lived.” And saying that might be hard for other people to hear because we can’t undo the past, only make the future better. And those of us who have small children LITERALLY hold the future of the hands. When they fall down and reach for your hand, it is like a silent whisper asking for help. The voice of an angel that is calling out to you and asking your undivided attention. And as a mom of two, giving that attention isn't always easy.

What I have learned as both a daughter and mother is that you do your best, while also keeping in mind that you can’t take either one of those jobs lightly. Parents need their kids and kids need their parents. I don't say that it is a "job" to make it sound like a chore. Being a mom and a daughter is very rewarding in so many ways, sometimes we just lose sight of that. It is better to remember or find the little things that remind you of how wonderful it is to have a family.

Sometimes we forget that our parents need us. But we also need to remember as we get older that our parents lose sight that we are still the kids, and we will always need them, no matter how old we get and how far we go. Life is crazy and I feel like sometimes we forget how important our jobs as children are. Sometimes we find ourselves forgetting all the sacrifices our parents made for us to be here. And although it is good to remember, it is best to not hold onto the fact that you might "owe" them something because of everything they did for you.

As parents, we clean up scraped knees and wipe away tears. We kiss goodnight and we tickle our kids to make them smile. We hug them tight and we hold them close. We even try to shield them from the world to make sure they stay a pure and loving human being. We hold their hand when crossing the street and we pick them up when they fall. The list goes on and on. The hardest part of being a parent is learning to let go. Realizing that your child needs to branch out. Try new things and meet new people. Realizing that you can't keep them close forever. But it is also fun to see something that you helped grow and helped shape go out and do what you raised them to do. Raising them to be good, honest, and strong individuals that will go out and change the world for the better.

When we think about the kids who have nothing, who aren't loved, even if we came from a different kind of home or a not so happy home, at least we can always find something that made it better. Or we had a choice of where we went. Not all kids are blessed with that choice. Sometimes parents take that away from them by just flat out giving up (not that all do).

We are not promised tomorrow and we can't change our past, but we can appreciate what we have and who we have it with and just remember that every day is a blessing. It is hard some days, and I know as a mom, I am tired, but it ALWAYS seems like my kids aren't. But if we remember all that we do as parents to protect our kids...let’s remember that someone, once, taught us how.