Last night I had a horrible dream- I won’t recount the details, but I think it had something to do with this article I just read in Parents magazine about Parents Who Change the World.
While I know it’s important to be aware of the multitude of dangers that lurk around every corner while we are raising our children, I really don’t think it should affect me to the point of waking me up in the middle of the night. After all, who of us, by worrying, can add a single hour to our lives?
After I woke and was completely relieved to find my sweet son sleeping soundly, I had the hardest time falling back to sleep because the dream rattled me so much. In that moment I decided to change my thought pattern and began reflecting on anything positive I could.
I found myself thinking about all of the things I have learned since my baby turned into a toddler…random things that no one could have predicted, but all things that bring little joys throughout my day. Here are some of my favorites:
- How fast my reflexes are! I’ve saved many a carpet from spilled drinks and food, stopped flying objects from hitting me in the face, and rerouted heads that were on a crash course with a table corner.
- How much I love spotting construction vehicles on the street. Whether it’s a cement truck, excavator, bulldozer, grader, forklift, crane or bobcat-all words I didn’t even know a couple of years ago- I love them. after all, we love what who we love loves (say that three times fast) and my son LOVES him some road work!
- Bugs and their little worlds are really fascinating and I can spend hours with my son studying their comings and goings.
- Bees really aren’t that scary
- How fun public transportation is
- That I really need to learn everything about everything because “Why Mommy?” Is his favorite question, and I hear it about 400 times per day.
Taking my mind off of the things I can’t control and reflecting on things that make me happy was exactly what I needed to sleep like a baby.
What are some of your favorite things you’ve learned since becoming a mother?
I’ve learned some fun and some hard things… like how incredibly impatient I can be with those I love the MOST by far ! and how your love really can and does multiply not divide… and how much train-spotting and cow-spotting and construction-vehicle spotting can be… and how your child’s giggle makes it all worth while…. and how interesting it is that your kids are always the cutest in any crowd… and how tiring it all is and what in the world was I doing that was more productive at 21….