Parenting :: What Matters Most
My little girl is a full-blown fire-cracker. She seems to two speeds: asleep and awake. Some days parenting seems more like running a marathon (and definitely not in some super-cute puma shoes). At the end of the day, I usually feel like a haggard she-beast with boogers smeared in my hair and mystery stains marching across my shirt. As the long days and nights meld together, though, I still find victory in the battle and joy in the journey because my daughter is a blessing.
What Matters Most:
1. Just as I remind her over and over how important, beautiful, and loved she is, she does the same for me. She doesn’t notice my flaws the way I do. She only know that I am her Mommy and I am the giver of hugs, snuggles, apple-sippys, and tickles. She doesn’t see my body as a stretched out old balloon; she sees someone who can pick her up when she is scared.
2. She sees the world around her as the ultimate gift. My little one finds delight in everything from bugs to pinecones to gumball machines. She smiles at everyone. For her, life is a constant flurry of oos and ahhs.
3. Parenting a little one has taught me to slow down. Normally I am a huge multi-tasker. I try to keep several plates spinning in the air all at once, but with a toddler, this kind of efficiency is nearly impossible. More importantly, you lose the beautiful moments that are tucked between all that “doing.” She has taught me to slow down and enjoy the little things, one step at a time.
4. Cleanliness is optional, but caring is vital. I didn’t really understand this until I became a mom. Now, I know their are some super-moms out there that have sipped from some fountain of extreme organization (please take me to your leader), but for mommies like me, cleaning is more of a nice idea than an actual goal. I’ve come to embrace that I may have a dusty house with piles of laundry, but I have a confident daughter who knows she is a miracle.
5. My daughter has brought my husband and I closer together. Is their anything sexier than seeing your husband being an awesome dad? I fall more and more in love with my man every day because he is such a tender, loving, and gentle father. He takes his role as “Daddy” seriously, and it blesses me beyond measure. My daughter is like a tiny cupid, and the arrows she fired landed straight in my heart.
This life is far better than I ever imagined – all because my little one has challenged me to change and grow in wonderful ways I never thought possible.
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Melissa
Melissa Northway, M.S. is a mom, founder of dandelion moms, and a children’s book author. Her award-winning book Penelope the Purple Pirate was inspired by her little tomboy. Penelope is a modern-day Pippi Longstocking who teaches girls and boys the importance of having fun while at the same time teaching them to be kind and respectful of others and their differences. Dandelion moms was created for moms to share their stories and to inspire and be inspired! You can reach Melissa at: info@dandelionmoms.com and follow her @melissanorthway and @dandelionmoms. Check out her author web site at: www.melissanorthway.com, as she hands out loads of goodies from the treasure chest.
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