On Parenting...

As parents we only want the best for our children, we want to have the best relationships possible, we want to make them see the things that at their age we did not see, we want to limit the number of heartbreaks and disappointments they are to encounter, we want to shelter them from all the bad. How many of us say - "if I knew then what I know now" or "I wish I would have listened to my mom and dad then" and the one I tell myself the most is "oh I sound just like my mother". There are no instructions when we are blessed with children, but there is always some type of advice we fail to listen to as we parent, because the majority of us always said "I can do this on my own'', "I will do it better" and what we find later in life is that we did not have all the answers and that perhaps we should have listened to the advice that was given to us then.

As I reflect on the past couple of days I've come to realize that parenting is an ever-changing circle, that there will be times that our expectations and dreams for what we see in the future of our kids might change in the blink of an eye. That I need to learn how to make lemonade when there are thousands of lemons right in front of me, I need to never take any moment with my kids for granted because it's guaranteed I will regret it.

What I can say I've learned during this process called parenting is that there will be laughs, tears, regrets, expectations that may lead to disappointment, there will be moments when you have to look from the outside and admit "I am not your friend I am your parent", there will be times when you feel defeated and feel as you are the worst parent and there will be times that you will feel so proud that you will tell yourself over and over, "this is why I get up every morning" or the typical "it was worth all the tears and sacrifice".

My journey as a parent is only 18 years in, but it feels like only yesterday I was changing diapers and making bottles for a 2:00 am feeding. This journey is never over and at times it feels like I'm still teaching them how to walk and talk, but I would not change it for anything in this world.

Enjoy the good times, embrace the hard times, and for sure strap on your seatbelt because the ride will be fast, bumpy, and with turns that you will not expect.