“You’re going to miss this …”
People say this to me all the time as I put my face in my hands as my children run around a public place screaming and pulling on each other. I really appreciate that people don’t judge me for the lack of control I seem to have over my sour patch kids. However, this phrase often stings just a little.
You see, I don’t think I will miss the part where I feel helpless when it comes to potty training. The part where I’m standing in the pediatrician’s office begging for ideas on how to get him to poop on the potty. All the while trying to hold in my tears as I think about the judgment I get from other people on how my five-year-old can’t poop on the potty.
I won’t miss the moments where in an effort to keep them from fighting, I lose my cool and yell.
I won’t miss all of the nights that I lost sleep because others had convinced me that by not breastfeeding my baby, I was somehow less of a mother.
I think we all have moments that we certainly won’t miss. That’s just fine— raising children is hard. We all know that.
For all of the moments I won’t miss, sure, there will be millions that I will.
I will miss rocking my sweet babies to sleep.
I will miss them coming to me for kisses on their boo-boos.
I will miss how they mispronounce words when they are learning to talk. Fork was entertaining.
I will miss mornings like today when I had my boys laying in bed with me and little baby toes on my face.
I will miss the little arms giving me hugs around my neck.
I know I will miss all the moments so much because I love my kids so much. When you see the frustrated mama, please just tell her she’s doing great and that you survived, too. She needs a smile and a cheerleader (or fifty) in her corner.
