They are not perfect, but they are mine

I had a conversation recently with someone who accused me of being "such an easy parent about stuff like that...". This person was revealing how much anxiety they have about their child sometimes and I never seem to have that same angst. And I thought about that for awhile. Because in some ways this person was very true, I tend to not sweat the small stuff when it comes to my children, but that doesn't mean I am not just as nervous about being a good parent as others in my generation going through similar journeys.

Truth is, I know my children aren't perfect. I know your children aren't perfect. And guess what? I love them anyway. Every child has something: too whiny, too clingy, too aggressive, too shy, too outgoing, too whatever. Everyone has a "too". You just have to balance the "too". You have to forgive the fault and embrace the whole. Now I didn't say ignore the fault, I didn't say deny the fault, I said forgive and embrace. You got whatcha got when you got it.

I wish I could give all the mothers I know a great big break. I want to give them permission to be the most amazing women I know them to be rather than spending all their energy trying to be what they think they should be. I wish they had their children's eyes for just a brief moment so they could see and feel how much love their children have for them just for being who they are.

This is new territory ladies and gentlemen. No one has ever raised children with the history we have had and the culture that we have today. This is a new chapter in an old book. We cannot compare ourselves to our parents and we will never be able to judge our children, because the rules will change when it is their turn. This is our journey and our journey alone. There are no comparables. I am not saying that we are reinventing the wheel, but we are having to learn how to use these useful tools on our cars and on our roads.