Life- the greatest teacher of all.
I blinked and just like that I’ll be celebrating my five-year anniversary this weekend! It’s true when they say time is a thief. I still remember my wedding day like it was just yesterday. I was a ball of emotions and couldn’t wait to marry my best friend. As I look back, I can’t believe how much has transpired since that special day. From living through a pandemic, to losing my father-in-law along with welcoming my two beautiful babies into the world, life has taught me a lot. Life has a funny way of teaching us some valuable lessons. It will create sadness, so we truly understand happiness as well as chaos so we can appreciate relaxing times (especially as a mom!). As I reflect on the last five years, I’ve learned a lot about myself as a person and a mom. As cliche as it sounds, life is truly so short. I try to remember this through all of life’s ups and downs and find myself starting to appreciate the lessons that come from it.
Being a parent has been the biggest challenge I’ve faced and yet the one that has taught me the most. It has also helped me to focus on what I truly want my kids to know. Life definitely isn’t linear and doesn’t always make sense, but I’ve come to appreciate the beauty in it all. With that being said, here are five life lessons I will be passing down to my children, in hopes that all these simple yet beautiful lessons will stick with them for life.
Kindness is always the answer. A simple act that is often overlooked. Being kind can ultimately change a person’s day and turn good moments into great moments. It can also carry you with grace through a tough situation. We truly never know what a person may be going through, so one small act of kindness can have such a ripple effect from one person to another. If you have to choose between being right or being kind, always choose kindness. It may feel “good” in the moment to be right, but if there’s anything I hope to teach my kids it’s that kindness always win.
Next is to always remember there is only one of YOU. Both Blake and Blaire, have unique qualities that make them so special. One being bold and the other being quiet. One being daring and the other being cautious. I don’t want either of them being anyone but themselves. It’s hard sometimes to not compare yourself to another person, trust me I’ve done it and still do, but showing up as you are and remaining true to yourself is enough. When you’re authentically yourself, it brings out the best version of you. I get that it’s always not easy with social media at our fingertips, but always remember that you were uniquely made. Don’t ever forget that when you start to go down the road of comparison.
Third is that life can be hard, but you are stronger than you think. The days you don’t feel like getting out of bed, going out of your comfort zone or feeling like you failed, these are the days you may just have to push through but I promise you will get through it and become stronger. You’ll look back and say “wow” that was a hard chapter of my life, but I did it! There might be days where your heart feels like it is breaking (especially as a mom when you see your child hurting or lose a loved one), but I promise you are strong enough to put it back together. Life will throw you curveballs but it’s what you make of them. Focus on trying to find the positive in hard situations because it might change your perspective and give you that extra push when you don’t think you can make it.
Fourth is go the extra mile. People notice and it can make all the difference. Hold the door open for someone, help that mom who may be struggling on the plane or simply make time to catch up with a friend on the phone verses texting. It may seem so simple, but these little steps can make all the difference.
Lastly, always be honest. It’s about doing the right thing when no one is watching. Such a simple yet strong impact we can have on our children when they are young. It can be hard to do the right thing in certain situations, but we are teaching our children how to hold themselves accountable, learn about the consequences of their actions and the importance of trust. I’m so thankful for my mom for being such a model of integrity during my formative years as a child and strive to be that model for Blake and Blaire.
Always remember that it’s the simple things in life that are extraordinary and can make all the difference. Life is our greatest teacher of all if we just sit back and enjoy the ride.
