Four years ago on Mother’s Day, my one and only child graduated from college. Other than the day he was born, this was the happiest day of my life. Not only because I was exceedingly proud of his great accomplishments and the man he turned out to be, but also because he expressed his heartfelt appreciation to us, his parents for believing in him, encouraging him, and supporting him all the way. I’m still beaming from ear to ear.
So often we are so caught up in the day to day challenges of parenthood — getting our kids (and teens) up in the morning, packing their lunches, shopping for school supplies, supervising (too many) hours of homework, advocating for them at parent-teacher conferences, waiting for them in carpool lines, and trying to get them to go to bed at a reasonable hour, that we forget to savor the moments of joy. And there are many.
On this Mother’s Day, I am reminding you to enjoy the ride. It really does go by too quickly. So savor the moments.
And as we say in positive psychology, “When we appreciate the good, the good appreciates.”
Parent with perspective.