What would I consider important if I knew I only had 10 years to live?

 
My boys would be young teenagers when I die and I would hate to think that the only memories they would have of me would be of me cleaning our home.  I also would hate to throw them out into the world with very little life skills.  I am realising that if I want my kids to know how to clean a home and maintain it that I need to start early with the lessons, especially the one of work first, play second.

 
The side benefit of teaching them how to take care of our home means that we will also be sharing the workload that to this point I have taken on myself entirely.  We will then have more time to do the fun stuff together too.  I have also heard that relationships with boys are best made while working side by side as they don’t like to be confronted face on about personal matters and feelings.

 
I wouldn’t be around to give advice on choosing a life partner so the best I can do is be the example of what I think they deserve from their wife and the mother of their children.  I think I really need to teach more from the bible especially Proverbs as there is such great advice given there on the type of people to emulate and those to avoid.

 
I know I discipline my children roughly some days (more in my manner of speech than physically) and I really don’t want them to only remember that of me.  I would like to soften my speech and teach gently and firmly rather than nagging and pouting.  It takes a lot of confidence in ones self to be consistent but I am learning that if I rely on biblical principles there is a consistency in the rules and values to live by even if my presentation is not always the best.  Lol

 
On a personal level I am realising that if I have only 10 years to live that the greatest use of my time would be to teach my children and to build a safe comforting home for my boys (both big and small).  I will make a greater impact on the world by the way I do this than I will from writing an inspiring book/blog or from learning steel string guitar to performance level.  I may have wanted to learn ball room dancing so I could feel alive and vibrant but hugging and tickling my boys and laughing together will make me so much more alive and vibrant that I think I can let go of some of my ‘goals’ to do what my Heavenly Father put me here for – to be a wife and mother.

 Best wishes,

Jen in Oz