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| not so different. It was there that my parenting journey truly began. ..... From that very first day you are faced with the responsibility of making decisions that will set a precedent for the quality of another human life. To breast-feed or bottle-feed? To immunize, circumcise, let them cry, use cloth or disposable diapers? The list is endless. Some decisions obviously more important than others but all decisions with impact just the same. |
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| ..... Nor is it to be taken lightly. When you step up to parenthood, it is without a doubt, the most important commitment you will undertake in your lifetime. And if it isn’t, it very well should be. Those who have already taken the plunge will agree and those who are about to enroll - take note. You can read all the books that have ever been written but nothing will ever prepare you for the stark reality of parenthood. It is a roller coaster of mixed emotions. Tremendous highs followed by alternate lows. Overwhelm-ing joy and pride accompanied by unequaled worry and anxiety! From the moment of conception or adoption, to perhaps the end of time….parenting is the ultimate challenge! ..... It was over 22 years ago but I remember my first pregnancy like it was yesterday. I believed I was thoroughly prepared. I read all the right books, took all the right vitamins, gave up cigarettes, refrained from unhealthy dietary practices and got plenty of rest. I pondered how to decorate the nursery, I bought the latest gadgets from Fisher Price and stocked up on all my favorite childhood authors - Dr. Seuss, Mother Goose and various other children’s classics. I vowed that my children would always come first, would never become sugar addicts, and would grow up to become healthy productive adults that would someday solve world hunger or develop a cure for the disease de jour! At the very least find happiness in whatever they endeavor! ..... Oh, to be so young and so naïve! The moment in which my first child drew his first breath, I felt a major shift. It was so primitive, so intimate that I was overwhelmed by the emotion. It took me totally by surprise. I had been prepared for everything I had read about except the full impact of a Mother’s love for her child. It was then that I realized I would indeed lay down my life for the life of my children. It was then that I realized that “Mother Bear” and I were |
..... There are nights when you pace the floor with a screaming infant and you wonder if you will ever sleep again. There are gut wrenching visits to the emergency ward as you watch the doctor sew your dare devil super kid back together, and along the way you have your fair share of fevers, ear infections, rashes, aches, pains and abdominal upsets. Hopefully most of us will never have to face anything more severe than the common cold, but occasionally the diagnosis is much more serious and then you need all the courage you can muster. ..... When your child does face a more ominous diagnosis it is like someone just pulled the rug out from under you. The little battles recede and your quiet little existence suddenly becomes a whirlpool of emotional activity. You can either tread water or start swimming for fear of being sucked under. Often you don’t have the time or energy to think clearly and your primitive survival instincts take over. Whether they show it or not, your children will always look to you for strength and trust in your judgments and for this reason alone you have to stay strong. Never let them see the doubt, the fear, and the confusion that is resonating in your very soul. You save that for the long dark nights when you and your pillow share a moment. ..... Every child on the planet deserves the right to nutritious food, warm shelter, unconditional love and a safe emotional environment in which to grow and flourish. Your children will look to you for guidance [mental, spiritual, physical] and they deserve the very best that you can offer them. Parents are the most important role models in a young person’s life and we have many different shoes to fill. As educators, disciplinarians, censors, sounding boards, friends and healers your children will learn as much from you as you will from them. My children are my greatest teachers. Good Health to You! |
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