I was recently talking with a more experienced mother who is on the brink of becoming an empty nester. I asked her what her advice would be for moms like me – in the thick of the little kid stage. She said “Just enjoy it.” I haven’t gotten the chance to stop and let that soak in. Enjoy it. There are countless things to enjoy and as I’ve journaled before, we don’t take the chance and often feel guilty to enjoy life. The seasons we’re in, the stages kids are at, the countless questions a day that gets asked by a curious child… all these things are truly wonderful. So today I have chosen not to rush through the day. Not to push kids off to do “more productive work” (Which is such a struggle and great conversation for another time) But to stop, do puzzles, go outside in the mud, paint pictures of the clouds and snuggle with Eden Bean.
The second piece of advice she said was to keep up with hobbies. Remember who you are at your core, with or without kids. Children are an incredible blessing and Christ given mission for us on earth. But the reality is eventually they grow up and find their own way in the world. So it’s important to cultivate other passions and hobbies throughout motherhood. It was ironic she said this because the day prior some friends and I were talking about this over coffee. Lauren asked what my creative outlet is. Reading and writing came up, and while I do love both of those, neither one was the true answer. For years I’ve been wanting to create nature videos. Ones that are relaxing to watch – a sun rise, breeze blowing in the wind, streams of water flowing down the hill, all with music in the back ground. I’m not sure exactly what this would look like, but I want to at least try. She also mentioned blogging, something I’ve gone back and forth on. The main thing that holds me back is just the element of sharing our life online. I like being private, not worrying about comments or what people say. I mean, you get enough of it in the real world, why open the door to welcome in even more opinions? But then, on the flip side, it could be done in a way that was more incognito. Just a during nap time, capturing things I bake or projects complete. No pressure, no deadlines, no money, simply sharing beauty.
