I’ll go out on a limb here and say for most of us, being a parent is, quite literally, the hardest job we’ve ever had or ever will. And, at the same time, it’s the richest, most fulfilling, most rewarding contribution to our own lives and always will be.
One of the most surprising aspects of parenthood’s lifelong journey is finding out that one split second is all it takes for you to come to know the best and worst of being a parent…the span of that second is the distance between loving another being so much it hurts, to wishing you’d gotten a dog instead! True dat 🙂
But in looking at this most difficult / most rewarding dichotomy, it’s not so hard to understand when you consider first, our tendency to place the highest value on that which was hardest won, and second, our amazing capacity for forgiveness (as parents at least).
But what is it that takes parents to the depths of the difficult to the heights of reward when it comes to loving our children? How do we survive the splintering of our brains in a thousand directions trying to figure them out, yet tarnishes the love in our hearts never?
I don’t question the reward; I think it’s obvious. I do, however, ponder the difficult. Is it because we love too much? Is it that even possible?
I don’t believe so…
However, could it be that we love too much for too long? Is that it? Does parental love need to be doled out in stages or degrees? Or fit into categories in order to not overload these little overlords once they come into their own?
So what (you ask) are these stages/degrees/categories you ask?
I’m a little cuss who can’t (and don’t want to) function without you so love me, love me more, love me most!
I’m a teenager so love me lots, and with patience, but for God’s sake, don’t let my friends see it!
I’m a young adult now so love me from a distance, but not too far ’cause I may need the car!
I’ve met someone and we’re going to get married. Can ya help, can ya pay, can we have it there? (ps Mom and Dad…you’re gonna love him/her!)
I’m going to have a baby so love me, love me most, and love me now ’cause we’re going to need babysitters! (ps Mom and Dad…you’re gonna love it!)
Mom? Dad? I’ve never felt this way before…I love this kid so much my heart hurts!
(ps honey…we know!)
And so on…..
The short answer to the too much / too long question is…yes, okay, maybe, a little bit. But we parents come to this conclusion naturally I think. We instinctively know (or learn soon enough if our instincts are not as honed as they will be), which stage or category we’re dealing with or which degree of parental love to douse them with, simply by living it. Organic knowledge. We just have to choose to go with it.
Does that stop us from loving the same soul-deep way we did when they were newborn?
No. Perhaps it does in theirs though. For a time.
I know that they love us the same way we do them…in the beginning. Outside of themselves, we are their world. Their universe. Their moon and their stars, and they are ours.
Parents and kids grow up together. That’s a given. No matter if you’re 18 or 45 when you have your children, you have to grow up with them to be able to give and receive all that these little selves need, and later, need to share.
We may grow up more with our first. Then again, it may just be that we grow up differently with the next one or two or three.
But…if we’ve played our hands well, we are love. All of it. Every stage, every degree, every category is of the love, by the love, for the love. And they are right there with us.
Completely (in the beginning)
Mostly (in the middle)
Until (still in the middle but getting further towards the…the…well shit…not the end, but you know what I mean right?)
Until…they find out there are more people to love and to be loved by; more stars to shine the light of love on their heads and in their hearts; more room in their world for other loves.
As it has always been. As it was with our own parents to be sure. Just another way of experiencing the circle of life.
Consider…
Our children are loved as only a child can be loved and they in turn, love as only a child can love. The universe is secure.
As time goes on, they thrive and grow in that forever, universe-spanning, parental love and love them right back. But as they continue to grow, they s l o w l y recognize that their world is expanding to include the many, many different kinds of love; each addition a glimmering star to their universe thus far.
But their recognition is as single-minded as their love for us was in the beginning. When they venture out from underneath the love-cloaked expanse of their parental universe, they don’t at once realize that their hearts are big enough to add new loves without setting aside old ones.
Our time will come again (usually around the time the grand-kids show up!), but as parents, it’s only natural that we do feel the initial loss of that connection when our love is no longer the moon and the stars in our child’s heart.
BUT…
Facing this fact head-on is hard, but absolutely necessary.
For our own well-being as well as theirs.
If we don’t, we run the risk of pushing them further out into the expanse by clinging too close, depending too much on their always being there, pining away for their childhood days when they aren’t there, regretting what we didn’t do, or forgetting what we did. Even romanticizing the harder times and not counting our blessings.
We all can probably think of a parent in our experience who has done, or does, this. Think back to the last time you witnessed a parent who cannot let go and re-live what you felt. It’s a very uncomfortable feeling.
I’m certainly not completely innocent of it still. I sometimes catch myself feeling guilty for not being ‘that mother’. The one who always can, always will, never says no, never says can’t. Who wouldn’t want to be considered ‘the perfect mom’? But that’s not perfection. It’s limiting to both your life and those of your children.
However, even knowing I am not (and never could be) that mother…(nor is their Dad ‘that guy’) it nevertheless hurts (and in the dark of night, makes me wonder if they’ll still love me enough to ask again- I know, just silly ) to know that we are the ones disappointing our children.
But we get over it because we know we are good parents who have raised good people. We all deal with disappointments in our relationships. We have difficult conversations followed by deafening silences. But we’ve loved each other long enough and well enough to know what’s really important.
So there is hope. Once we’ve matured enough in our parenthood to realize this fact of life, we can recapture that sense of oneness, specialness, absolute love not felt anywhere but in your parents’ heart of hearts. It is, after all, our hearts that need to make preparations for the day when our children learn there is a love flow-chart. This will fluctuate during their life spans, but it will always show a solid heart-red line for us. Mom and Dad. Steady as she goes. What more could we hope for?
And an added benefit to this stage of parental maturity is…we can (and hopefully do) look back at our own parents with a new appreciation for all they’ve done, all they’ve been through, and all we’ve learned from them without even knowing it. Score!
Cheers and happy parenting (and I mean that!)
Dearest Mommy
Wow – we are at that point with one – needed, but dispensable as too much change in a wallet. Hurts like nothing else…and yet I know this is part of a circle…a moment in time (but it sucks)…xo
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It does…but it gets better as you know. We are at the hardest part with one and the hurt for them part with the other. Which begs the question…how can one even try to be super mom when there are more than one needing that from you? Ugh!…xo
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Beautiful…it is truly, all about love. ♥
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It really is Yvonne ♥
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You make me think both about how I’ve interacted with my parents and what they see in me, and how my kids are going to interact with me going forward. I think I have had times when I was not the most attentive, loving child to my parents, but I’ve gotten back to a good place with them and am happy about it. I wonder what my kids will do. You’re right – it’s the hardest and best job, and things can go from zero to hero in two seconds flat – I never get how that can happen, but it does, seemingly all the time. Enjoy the ride, I think, is the most appropriate way to look at it. There’s really no other answer, is there?
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Nope, there is only what is, and what is for each of us. This is how I’ve seen it and I’m sure I’m missed a lot as there’s still a lot to come. But the important point, you’ve already gotten. Enjoy it, appreciate it, live it, and say it out loud.
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Scream it out loud, you mean! I’m on it.
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I bet you are!!! lol
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Couple of more months and it’s guaranteed to be louder… I had to buy a new car and everything!
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More?
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Heya Audra! Yup, one more on the way.
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Holy smokes! How awesome! Congrats
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Thanks Audra… pretty big deal around here, just gearing up. It’s gonna be awesome, and the other little ‘uns are super-excited. We were going over names this morning, actually.
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It is a big deal 🙂 and I’m super happy for your gaggle to be growing. It is a awesome ride.
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What are the front runners?
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OH NO….not a minivan? 🙂 I’m tickled for ya NB…life is good!
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I’m trying to adjust to youngest going off to college. It’s a mixed bag. Like Trent, this post made me think of myself in both roles..parent and child. I love being a mom. And you described it all so perfectl
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I love being a mom too Audra…had a thought after I posted this (of course) that I could have actually named the stages this way: Mommy, Ma, Mom, and Mother. That’s how it’s been for me anyway. Currently I’m in Mother stage with oldest (32) and still Mom with the youngest (27). I loved the Mommy stage, thrived in the Ma stage, found our unique relationships in the Mom stage, and am trying to come to terms with the Mother stage. It is this last one though, where I have found myself thinking more and relating more, with my own Mother. I know people my age or older who still call their parents Mommy and Daddy…I wonder what the secret to that is. I couldn’t say if I envy them or not…that’s not quite it, but I find it sweet.
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I just pray my relationships stay the course that they are on. I would be so deeply sad if they weren’t a part of my life ( as I am not with my own)
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I have no doubt you’ll do what you have to, to make it happen Audra, since you know what the alternative is like. I’m sorry it’s that way for you, I truly am.
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Are you interested in adopting me?! You sound like the perfect parent! I had a rocky childhood, but all is forgiven and forgotten, most of the time. I tell my kids that things they are going through are new to me as well, so please bear with me! The most important thing I’ve learned is to think things through instead of reacting. Big difference between responding and reacting. This was a lovely post, Rhonda. And the baby up top is perfect xo
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Thank you Kelly. That cutie pie up top is my grandson…almost 6 years ago now. Wow…where has THAT gone? One thing is for sure…this is a lifetime job with a lifetime learning curve…so I’d say, you are definitely on the right track with gathering the minis and telling them exactly what’s what….we are growing up together and learning as we go! xoxo
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What a profound post. It is certainly one I will re-read again and again as I go through this tumultuous time with Ming (22 now with his first girlfriend). Thanks for your wonderful wisdom Rhonda xxxx
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I know you two will make it through anything…your foundation is rock solid! I’m always here though, when you need a friend…remember that. xoxoxo
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What a stunning and provocative post Rhon! You have triggered so much – I am still in the middle of my race with my kiddo, so much to come yet, and enough to know how completely life-changing this is,that it is my job to grow him up and onward and how much I miss having a parent (mama) to hover about as I made my own way, but boy do I sure appreciate her tenacious ways with as much fervor as I resisted them when I was a cranky teenager. You have captured so so much and I think this is a beautifully written expressions of something soooo many get to relate to. xoxoxo
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Thank you for your lovely comment BonBon. I wish your Mom could be there with you now, to see how strong a woman and mother you are…to know you through Ben…I know she’d be so proud. Love you sister….xoxoxo
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Thank you my lovely friend! And again, so so well done. This is a piece you must save as your kids hit these same strides and understandings..what a true gift!!
xo
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Not a bad idea…sometimes a gentle push in the right direction can aid the process and avoid some of the negatives of going through this. Thanks for taking this beyond…xoxo
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