HIDDEN REFLECTIONS

GROWING AND LETTING GO

HIDDEN REFLECTIONS

In this past mothers day May 11, 2014, and reading wonderful articles about hugs goodnight, forever trying to do the right thing, doing without so her children can have what she didn’t have growing up, whether its shoes, or a meal, or clean water, sacrifices were made, its what mothers do. We come last, our children are shielded, protected, and if we could wrap them in bubble wrap we would. The stories I read are endless, game nights, movie nights, cuddles on the couch soothing a fever, tickles and hide and seek, cheering on the sidelines, if walls could talk they would tell you how many I love you’s were said, birthday cake wishes, pancakes dinners, how many laundry loads folded and stuffed away, and how many times don’t touch that was said, and played doctor to many ouchies, it’s a wonder we got anything done.

We age in a time warp speed, but in our mind it’s in slow motion, like a very slow movie playing over and over, wishing for a pause button for a few seconds. A little boy in her mind, a little boy in front of her, but now all grown still says, I love you more than all the chocolate milk on the planet. The hardest thing next to birthing is letting go. Whether to watch him take his/her first steps, going to school, dating, you want to put a bungee cord around them, but they won’t learn anything from that, we have a tendency to be helicopter parents for protection, like the baby bird nudged from the nest praying they fly, and they do, but we always have one wing open standing at the edge, waiting, just in case; sometimes needed to redirect, sometimes just to say I’m here for you, and other times its to sit by and let silent tears fall, just because there is nothing you can do but wait, and sometimes it is for the just because.

Time captures so much, like a camera snapping daily pictures wanting to savor each one.
We get caught up with the world wind of daily life activities that we don’t always see the missed snap shot, or the beauty life holds each day, from the simple to the intricate, its all there we just need to sit back, take a breath, and don’t turn the page so fast.
On the other side of wonderful is the darker days, the thunder we want to run from, but we can’t it helps us grow and learn, teaching every step of the way. When we send our kids off into this straight jacket of a world, we don’t know what will return, or if they will return. Life can be cruel, Life can hold a warped misunderstanding sense of humor that is not for one to understand, but to get through and be stronger from it; each night count your blessings, count the heads that lay on each pillow, no matter how grown they get.
Kiss your partner goodnight, kiss each one as they walk out the door with an I love you, praying over each one for protection and safe return. Instead of complaining, remember the laughter each one brings, the skinned knees, the broken hearts they feel will never mend, the bake sales, the camping trips and the expression from the first time touching the fish they caught, and with each year, each page that turns, watch each bird fly with one wing ready.