During today’s beach excursion, I was surrounded by many young families with many young children. Those little ones were having a time swimming along the shore and building sand castles. Those same little ones were also irritating a sibling to tears or were themselves in tears over seemingly nothing. I watched exasperated parents trying their hardest to provide a happy little beach trip for their family. It reminded me of a time my little one was very young. That time in my life held a lot of struggles, but it was also very rewarding. My little chickadee is not so little anymore. She’s almost grown! My current stage of life -preparing the kiddo for high school graduation- is also very rewarding! I am not ready to write a great deal on this topic yet. However, today I wanted to encourage young mothers and fathers…and all those getting ready to be in the “having little kiddos” stage of life. Please do not let the frustrations of your daily life keep you from enjoying this stage in life. This is a time in life that a whiny nap-deprived toddler or your lack of sleep from being up with a baby is just part of it. An inability to have an adult conversation because your daily conversations revolve around sippy cups or explaining why it’s not okay to dress the cat in tutus or ride on Rover’s back like a cowboy on a horse? Yeah. That’s part of it, too.
My parents tell a story of my first communion. I was probably three or four. In our Methodist Church, communion consisted of a small wafer and a small plastic cup filled with grape juice. I can imagine how excited my parents must have been to see their one and only child partake in her first communion. I can also imagine the complete and utter humiliation they must have felt when, at the alter, their one and only child announced to the ENTIRE congregation that she didn’t like it. …Ah, yes. Having young children is never dull.
Remember, young parents: Make lots of good memories for your family that you can hold onto. Having little ones around is only for a season. Enjoy it!