Yesterday, I went to my favorite running park to get a jog in. Yes, it was my second workout of the day (I have only two things to say about that. #1) Cadbury eggs. #2) I am meeting The Magnolia Mom next week. You ladies get me?)
Anyhoo, so as I was jogging along, I suddenly felt my heart just achinggggggg to have my kids with me. Just two years ago, Ava came to this park with me often. I would push her in a stroller while I worked out. You see, it wasn’t until just 2 years ago that I worked on my business full-time. For 11 years, I worked from home WHILE I raised our children. I used to lonnnnnnnng for the day when I would be able to devote all of my energy during the day to my job. Well, now I am able to devote all of my energy during the day to my job and I am lonnnnnnnging to have my kids home with me again. Isn’t that just like us?
It seems so often we can’t wait to get out of our current season of life but then we get to the next season and realize the last season was just sooooooo precious.
I want to encourage all of you mommas who are at home with your babies today. I promise you, there WILL be day when you miss it. I know that the endless diapers and messes and hide-and-go-seek games seem like they will never end. But I promise you they will. And you may find yourself crying in a jogging park one day like a lunatic. And I know when you hear moms like me tell you to enjoy these mundane days that you want to kick me in the shins because the days just feel sooooooo long and you are tempted to feel soooooo isolated. I get it. I remember. I promise.
And for every momma who feels like her kids are growing up at warp speed, I am in this with you!!! I too am afraid that I’m going to miss it. Afraid that I’m going to mess them up. Afraid that I’m going to have regrets. Afraid that I won’t teach them all they need before they leave home. Afraid that I’ve given them too much sugar and not enough eye contact. Afraid that I’m giving them too much technology and not enough reading homework. Gosh, I swear motherhood is an endless opportunity for feeling guilty, isn’t it??? But, we just can’t. We’re doing the best we can, aren’t we moms? And moms…. THAT IS ALL WE CAN DO.
And for every one of you mothers whose kids are long gone out of the home, we mommas in my stage of life need you DESPERATELY. We need you desperately to give us advice. We need you desperately to give us help. We need you desperately to give us a good example. We need you to remind us that the best we can do is all we can do. We need you to tell us we are doing a good job and that even tho’ we are feeding them McDonald’s way more often than we ever said we would …..that they will still grow up to be normal, productive, amazing human beings. My generation of mothers NEED YOU. We have NO idea what we are doing, but YOU DO! Every time you come along side one of us mom’s of tweens and teens and you give us your support and love….. it feels doable. It feels manageable. It feels hopeful when the world wants us to believe these years will be ugly. You give us confidence. I promise.
I think one of the greatest gifts we mothers can give to one another is the gift of encouragement. There can be so much judgment and such little grace sometimes. But, we ALL love our children fiercely, don’t we? Regardless of the season we are in, we can agree that we moms have that in common.
So, whatever season of motherhood you are in today, I just want to tell you are doing a good job and that your job matters. And that your kids WILL be ok. And that there WILL be a day when you don’t have to sweep the floors after every meal. And that those dreams you’ve tucked in your heart? In due season, you will get the opportunity to chase them. I promise.
Until then, enjoy those babies.
Big hugs from the jogging park.
Xoxo,
Jennifer
