Being a mother or father is one of the most beautiful lifelong experiences that one is blessed with. No words adequately describe the sustained pride, happiness, and joy parents carry in their hearts.
For most, being a mother or father represents the highest calling one can answer to. This is because nothing takes the place of bringing a tiny infant into the world and remaining actively engaged in their lives to love, nurture, protect, and guide them until they reach adulthood.
Despite all the joys connected to being a parent, their daily journey is often filled with obstacles. And these obstacles can stop parents in their tracks because of the intensity of their challenges just being a mom or dad.
Sometimes It’s Real Hard
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Sometimes the difficulties in life cause the parent’s world to turn upside down. Stress, the lack of inner peace, despair, depression, loneliness, and anxiety can overtake them. The range of emotions that mothers and fathers encounter can make it hard for them to simply get out of bed to function.
And trying family circumstances contribute to these feelings. Things like
- unresolved school troubles,
- not having enough time in the day to take care of all your child’s needs,
- mental health struggles within the family,
- being financially stretched while trying to pay for all the activities your sons and daughters are involved in,
- misbehaving children,
- finding affordable and quality child care at the same time,
- family illness, death, and grief,
- working multiple jobs just to see ends even though they may never meet,
- homelessness,
- marital difficulties,
- being a single or only parent with the weight of the entire world resting on your shoulders,
- finding money to pay for entertainment and special events, and
safety concerns
sometimes make it hard to function. But, as the parent you do.
Day after day, you rise from the ashes of your authentic version of stress. And you push yourself to be the best version of yourself because of who you are.
You are the mom and you are the dad. Your heart is filled with so much unconditionally pure love for your children that cannot possibly be quantified. Your sons and daughters energize your heart to beat because they need you. They depend on you. While they may not consistently let you know, that is their unspoken yet understood mantra.
But it’s not always hard being a parent.
Parental Happiness Abounds
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Regardless of their age, children instinctively bring their mothers and fathers happiness. By just being sons and daughters, the legacy of their parents, pride fills the senses of mothers and fathers.
While the dreams parents once had for themselves were deferred, the hope that their children will actualize them by embracing their destiny warms their spirit. Because of this, their children restore their hope.
Children cause parental pride to be continuously released. Whether it’s reaching special milestones in their life, being respectful and kind to others, performing great deeds, putting forth their best effort in their studies, or accomplishing positive triumphs, children will put a smile on their parent’s faces. Simply stated, sometimes the goodness of children surprises their parents.
Mothers and fathers just have to wait for these joyful and heartwarming moments.
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I hope this heartwarming story brought you joy. If you are a parent, I hope my words touched you. Thank you for reading it.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: Youssef Abdelwahab on Unsplash