The Birth of a Mom

Life is like a circle. There's a circle to life. Somebody should write a song about that...

It just occurred to me that in the circle of life a mom and a baby are both born at the exact same time. 

A baby gives birth to its mother at the same time the mother gives birth to her child. Weird! 

Well...when my son birthed me made me a mom I started learning all kinds of new things. I learned that poop could actually become projectile, along with vomit. I learned that the reason those flimsy white undershirts they sell for newborns are so cheap is because they will all be stained yellow within the first hour of being worn. I learned why my mom didn't wear dresses or jewelry for like the first 20 years of her marriage. AND I learned that motherhood is HANDS-DOWN the best job I've ever had and will ever have. I learned that the smell of a newborn is the best smell on Earth (past 6 months and we're gettin' sketchy) and that kids love you no matter how much you still have left to learn. 

My boys are 2 and 4 now and they LOVE to help me learn. I am frequently informed that there is a "right way" to respond to jokes that make no sense at all, that there is a very specific art to back-scratching, that I told Daddy's story wrong, etc. 

Kids say the darnedest things. Trite and true--whoops, wrong phrase--

But seriously. When I take the time to learn from my kids, I can learn more than any ivy-league college could ever teach me. My kids have taught me how to love more fully and more unconditionally than I knew possible. They've taught me how to hang on to the simple joys of life the way kids do naturally. They teach me to remember our prayers. They teach me how to keep a song in my heart. They teach me how to forgive without a second thought. So many reasons Christ told us to be like the little children. So. Many. 

This will be my attempt at documenting the teachings of my children and using their gift to better myself (and hopefully a community of other intentional parents) each day. 

Today's challenge: See what you can learn from your child today. How to make a mess out of all the toys in 2 mins or less? How to watch someone make a mess out of all the toys in 2 mins or less and not freak out? Take time to enjoy your child and let yourself be taught.

Happy learning!