A blooming flower….

Life is a journey. It is a series of adventures. It is a classroom of lessons. Our most difficult experiences are always our greatest lessons. Nothing happens in this world by mistake. It is up to each of us to do our part to make the world a better place and I believe it all starts with children.

Motherhood has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. When my first child was born in 1991 I felt that I finally had a purpose in life – a reason to live. I finally started to care for myself when I started to care for him. It may sound a little crazy but it was at that point in time that I started wearing a seat belt because I needed to keep myself safe and to live responsibly so that I could care for this new life I had created.

Looking back over the past 24 years of my life brings me joy and sadness all at the same time. There are things I wish I could have done better,but there are many things that I wouldn’t change for the world. I have always tried to do my best, however, there were times that my best wasn’t good enough (I am most certain of this).

I wanted to teach my children to have their voice and to use it when it was needed most – to be secure and confident with themselves; yet, to also be compassionate and empathetic towards others. I made an effort to keep them involved in the community through sports and volunteer work, mostly so they had a greater sense of belonging. Because, really isn’t that what we all want – to belong?

I have had the pleasure of meeting many people along my path. Each and every single individual has played a role in my life and they have played a role in the lives of my children. I strongly believe that it takes a village to raise a child and I am grateful for the many people who have helped me do this very important task.

As I look back in my past I get flooded with emotions such as gratitude and grief. Now that I have worked through the feelings of letting my older children grow up and out of the family home. I am very grateful for where I am at this point in my life – shit it took over 40 years to get here to this point of gratitude. It is those memories that bring grief for me – because I am changing and my children are changing. As we all grow I am scared and excited for what tomorrow may bring.

We all start off in life as a seed. Our seed begins to bud throughout the years; however, when our flower begins to bloom simply depends on how much love and care we have been given. I can honestly say that I have given them all the love that I have within me.

#Children #Family #lifeslessons #Memories