The lesson of the "young" and "old" mom

A writing by me, no one else could have such a scattered mind or prose! Sorry for the typos and sentence run-ons. I was too excited to go back and edit!



This hit me today as the kids and I were playing in the park. I no longer
had the "baby" in the crowd. My "baby" is now 3 and instead of carrying him around, I am watching him to make sure that he doesn't wander away or show off to the world that he can "pee" all by himself!

Well, anyway, I was feeling totally relaxed playing with my kids when it hits me as I am trying to help another "young" mom who has her hands full with a baby and a toddler and a preschooler. She nervously looks around and says that she has to get something from the van and was going to make all of her kids go with her. I offer to help her by watching her kids, reassuring her that one of my own is already playing where hers are. I recognize the look on her face, not distrust, but a feeling of not wanting to "put upon" me. I again reassure her that it is alright, I am already watching mine. She hurries, not wanting to prolong "putting upon" me.

When she gets back, she engages me in conversation and we talk about life, kids, how you manage several kids. She compliments me for my demeanor. It is then after she leaves that I shake my head. When did I go from being someone who asked questions and needed so much reassurance to someone that was asked advice? Wow, I still have lots of questions, but now I do notice a difference in my outlook. There is not as much "tyranny of the urgent" anymore. There is important, there is small stuff. I am learning that much that I worried about as a "young" mom was small stuff. And that lesson, learning to discern truly important matters and trivial came straight from God. If nothing else has been learned this year from homeschooling, this lesson taught to me was worth it all. Because I have a peace that only Jesus Christ himself can give. I look back at the worries and they seem so long ago! My view of myself, mothering, and educating have all grown and I am excited at the lessons yet to learn.


Anybody else want to share your "Aha" moment! When did you become an "old" mother?