Parenting...a new era

It's been a few years since I shared my thoughts here.  Obviously, SO much has happened (ain't that the way it be).  I have no plans to catch up on everything I've missed, so if you are curious, I guess you'll just have to live in suspense 😶.  

After many years of working full-time and giving my talents and dedication to a wonderful company, I am back to my true love as an at-home mom.  If I'm being honest, it's all I ever aspired to be and I am incredibly grateful to be focusing on my home and family so exclusively again. 

When we were young parents, my husband and I worked diligently to make it possible for me to be at home with our children.  We managed it until all six were finally in school, at which point our needs kind of exploded and I headed off to seek my corporate fortune.  We have been incredibly grateful for both portions of our life.  And now we are in round three with me back at home spending my energy and time on people here whose needs have made it very clear why God led us down this unexpected (not unwelcome) path.  

However, I'm not the same sweet little soccer mom that I was a few years ago.

The years have brought with them unique opportunities for...let's call it...self-exploration and personal growth.  Some of that has been exciting and memorable. I've watched my tidy clutch of fledgling humans explore, develop, and decide who they want to become.  They've dabbled in hobbies and relationships and have each charted the course for what they want their lives to be moving forward.  We have kids who have served missions for our church, gone away to college, gotten adult jobs, sought spiritual and emotional independence, and even one who has extended our family number by getting married (and boy do we adore our bonus daughter).   

Alongside the exciting times, there were also many other memorable moments that were concerning, scary, worrisome, doubt-inducing, and challenging.  Not every growth-inducing situation is clean, concise, and comfortable.  Some of them hurt and some leave scars.  But the beautiful thing about scars is that they remind us of the experience.  They help us think of where we have come from, see for ourselves the power of healing restoration, and look ahead to where we choose to travel next.  

While our family journey has not followed exactly the plan that we thought it could, we are working to trust and support each other in every kind of circumstance.  That means as parents, we have to be willing to step aside and trust our children to make the choices that best fit their life.  We have to believe that while we were far from perfect, we were always sincere and intentional in our parenting and that has provided a solid foundation for our kids even if there are obvious chips and nicks in the surface.  We can't make excuses for our mistakes or pretend we don't see them. They're there, they're real.  But we also know that our choices came from a place of love.  Those choices might look different if we made them now, and isn't that a beautiful thing.  It means we have grown and become something better than we were, just like we are trying to help our children do.  

Above all, these years have taught us that we can love without limits.  We do not need to agree on every concept in order to agree that our lives are better together than apart.  We can trust, encourage, engage, love, and support each other as a family through just about anything.  There are growing pains as we watch our offspring learn to make their own decisions and delve into the life they are choosing to create.  There are also growing pains as they watch us trying to do the same.  We must be patient and loving with each other.  All of us.

Eight of us.  Eight different view points.  Eight unique perspectives.  Eight people working really hard to live, love, and continue together.