There’s no real way to prepare yourself for being a parent. You imagine all these scenarios and the “what would I do” responses, but it’s hard telling what it’s actually like until the children have arrived and you’re living it.
When I was pregnant, I dreamed about all the things we would teach our baby – how to walk, how to write, how to read, how to be empathetic, and so much more. Of course, I didn’t realize all the zillion little things we would have to teach our daughter, like showing her how to chew her food, or pick things up with her fingers. It’s incredible how much a little tiny human has to learn!
I didn’t think about all the things that Lily would teach ME. Gosh, I learn so much from her that I don’t even understand how it happens! She is such an incredible little girl, and I am so excited to continue to grow and learn with her each and every day. But, the BIGGEST thing that Lily has taught me?
Forgiveness.
That girl holds NO grudges. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t get upset, because she does, but she moves on quickly and still loves so fiercely.
I’ll never forget one night when she was five or six months old (she was still sleeping in our room) and after we had put her to bed, she had started crying. We figured it was the typical nighttime fussiness before falling asleep. About twenty minutes into it, we decided to go check because it was going on longer than usual, and as soon as we opened the door we smelled it. She had had a blowout as soon as we left the room, and we almost just left her there in it! Lily truly doesn’t ever cry or get fussy when she poops, so we have to be super conscious about it, haha.
Steven and I felt SO bad. Sure, it had only been 20 minutes, but we just felt like we had wronged her. But you know what? As soon as we opened the door and she saw our faces, she smiled at us. She wasn’t mad at us, and she didn’t hold it against us.
Lily shows us this grace every. single. day. Lord knows how many times we’ve accidentally bumped her into something, or scratched her by mistake, or gotten her clothes stuck on her head or her fingers, and she just keeps moving on.
Lily has taught me to remember to forgive quickly and love hard, because why waste that energy on negativity? It’s not always easy to forgive, and it’s definitely not easy to forget, but it’s so much better and healthier to do this.
She’s helped me be not only a better person, but also a better wife. I think most people who are in relationships understand that it’s super easy to hold something against your significant other, and usually they are minor things. I’m more conscious now of how I treat Steven and how quickly I forgive him for things that may make me upset! We are two pretty different people, so it’s taken a lot of work for us to figure out how to be our best selves in our marriage and be the best we can for each other.
As you go throughout your day today, remember to forgive. Let it go. Don’t harbor resentment or negativity because all it does is bring you down. Don’t let little moments ruin your entire your day. As always, it’s a choice you have to make. What’s it going to be?
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