Saturday, April 7, 2012

On Being Mom

Posted by Tracy Wainwright at 3:28 PM 0 comments
This past week some of my extended family gathered together in Myrtle Beach for vacation. Fortunately, it was warm enough several days to go out on the beach. The kids even got in the water (me, too, but only up to my knees.)

This trip got me thinking. More accurately, the time spent on the beach got me thinking. Last time I visited Myrtle Beach was on beach week after my fifth year of college. I was getting ready to graduate and a bunch of us (like thousands of college kids each year) headed off to spend a week in the sun before returning home. It was a great week. There was no schedule, no demands, and no drama.

My week at the beach this time also had no schedule and no drama, but was oh so different from before. It was a great snapshot of how motherhood changes our lives.

Last time I was at the beach, I took a suitcase, towel, sunscreen and a few good books. This time, I took a cooler full of food, 12 towels, several sets of sheets, three suitcases, two bags of other stuff, a bin of toys, and still some good books.

Last time I was at the beach, I spent hours lounging in the sun, dozing now and again. This time, I spent most of my time staring like a hawk at my kids playing in the water, occasionally darting my eyes back to the ones not in the water. I counted children every couple of minutes, taking stock of where everyone was. I sat down a couple times, but I certainly didn't take a book and didn't even come close to dozing off.

But that's okay. That's where I am now. And I wouldn't give it up for anything.

That's how becoming a mom changes you. We might miss our down time (which is a good idea to schedule in once in a while) and we might miss the flexibility of deciding to go out to dinner at nine p.m. (a walk on the beach after bedtime with hubby while aunt stays with the kids works these days), but the rewards a mom gets are better than any lazy, unencumbered day at the beach.

The joy of watching my kids explore, imagine, and simply enjoy the sand and waves filled me. The pictures capturing excitement and play will last forever.

The snuggles when they get cold and kissed in gratitude for a day at the beach are priceless.

Yes, children take over your life, changing everything about it. Though the adjustment isn't always easy or smooth, embracing it and jumping in head first provides the most thrilling ride ever invented.


Saturday, April 7, 2012

On Being Mom

This past week some of my extended family gathered together in Myrtle Beach for vacation. Fortunately, it was warm enough several days to go out on the beach. The kids even got in the water (me, too, but only up to my knees.)

This trip got me thinking. More accurately, the time spent on the beach got me thinking. Last time I visited Myrtle Beach was on beach week after my fifth year of college. I was getting ready to graduate and a bunch of us (like thousands of college kids each year) headed off to spend a week in the sun before returning home. It was a great week. There was no schedule, no demands, and no drama.

My week at the beach this time also had no schedule and no drama, but was oh so different from before. It was a great snapshot of how motherhood changes our lives.

Last time I was at the beach, I took a suitcase, towel, sunscreen and a few good books. This time, I took a cooler full of food, 12 towels, several sets of sheets, three suitcases, two bags of other stuff, a bin of toys, and still some good books.

Last time I was at the beach, I spent hours lounging in the sun, dozing now and again. This time, I spent most of my time staring like a hawk at my kids playing in the water, occasionally darting my eyes back to the ones not in the water. I counted children every couple of minutes, taking stock of where everyone was. I sat down a couple times, but I certainly didn't take a book and didn't even come close to dozing off.

But that's okay. That's where I am now. And I wouldn't give it up for anything.

That's how becoming a mom changes you. We might miss our down time (which is a good idea to schedule in once in a while) and we might miss the flexibility of deciding to go out to dinner at nine p.m. (a walk on the beach after bedtime with hubby while aunt stays with the kids works these days), but the rewards a mom gets are better than any lazy, unencumbered day at the beach.

The joy of watching my kids explore, imagine, and simply enjoy the sand and waves filled me. The pictures capturing excitement and play will last forever.

The snuggles when they get cold and kissed in gratitude for a day at the beach are priceless.

Yes, children take over your life, changing everything about it. Though the adjustment isn't always easy or smooth, embracing it and jumping in head first provides the most thrilling ride ever invented.


 

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