Chiggers and Blackberries, Crossing the Finish Line, Saying Goodbye and So Much More

“Parenting is about so much more than diapers, Band-Aids, homework and curfews. Parenting is being there; listening, talking, forgiving, asking forgiveness and most of all, loving. I know this to be true because Momma D says it is.”

These are the words directly under the title of this blog. These are my words. These are words I believe with all my heart. I also believe that in order to be this kind of parent you have to experience life with your kids-the good, the bad, the funny, the sad, the beautiful and the ugly…all of it.

Camping, putting up hay, mission’s trips, swimming, working in the greenhouse, crossing the finish line, watching my children pledge their love and life to their spouses, the blessing of becoming a nanna and witnessing the birth of one of my grandchildren, seeing them grow into their adulthood—these are some of the good experiences of life I’ve lived with my children.

Being covered in chiggers after picking blackberries, arguing and fighting over things that really don’t matter, arguing and fighting over things that do matter, having to let them make their own mistakes, making more than a few of my own, misspoken or unspoken words from all our lips—these are some of the bad experiences of life I’ve lived with my children.

Scaling rock cuts in sandals and nice clothes to catch runaway livestock, ‘saving’ one of my kids from the beady-eyed stare of a vulture, countless games of hide-n-seek and program practices at church, farmer’s markets and spending time at the fair, grabbing black Friday bargains, listening to my kids tell me things the grandkids say and do and reminding them of their antics—these are just a few of the fun and humorous experiences I’ve lived with my children.

Saying goodbye to Granny and my dad, going through serious health problems, struggling with the labor pains and beyond-our-control issues of adoption, healing from broken hearts, making changes and choices we don't always understand, and stubborn pride--these are some of the sad and painful experiences I've lived with my children.

See? It's all there--the good, bad, and everything in between. Like it or not, that's the way it's supposed to be. Remember…parenting is listening, talking, forgiving, asking forgiveness, being present, knowing when to act and when not to and most of all, LOVING. So…unless you experience the good, bad, happy, sad, beautiful and ugly of life with children, you cannot truly know who your children are and cannot be a parent who knows what it is to parent from the heart.


Love,
Momma D