Feeling a little punch drunk today. Raising children is not for the faint of heart. Or the weak, or without a wing man. Thankfully, Hugo and I are able to comfortably stand back to back, watching out for each other, from every angle.
It isn't that our children are bad. They're not. In fact, they're fabulous. We marvel at how blessed we are to have this group of young individuals growing in our house. Individuals we get the privilege to raise, and influence, and fall more deeply in love with, with each passing year.
But still. It's hard work.
Sebastian in Disney's The Little Mermaid said, "Teenagers. They think they know everything..."
We have our share of teenagers in the house, and believe you me, Sebastian knew what he was talking about. But, this is where the real hard work comes in. Not in the fact that they think they know everything. Sometimes they're right. (I hate it when that happens!!) No, the biggest challenge is in being able to have the flexibility to run our fingers through all that they know. We have to carefully weed out what doesn't belong, prune back what might have overgrown a bit, and nurture the tender seedlings of their spirits, so that they can grow well.
And it ain't easy. Not just because we have 5. It doesn't matter if you have 1 or 20...parenthood is hard.
So, I did a little searching. I needed to hear from others who know a thing or two about adversity, and about rising above a challenge. Because, it doesn't matter if you are in crisis, or if your life is peachy. Or if you're just trying to raise your kids. We all face challenges, and we all benefit from pep talks that help us through them. Alive. In one piece. With peace. And, according to some of the following quotes, we actually come out better:
"We must accept life for what it actually is - a challenge to our quality without which we should never know of what stuff we are made, or grow to our full stature."
Robert Louise Stevenson
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Who said raising kids was supposed to be easy and without challenge? I can honestly say that I never went into this parenthood thing thinking for a minute that it was going to be a walk in the park. I knew it would be tough, and as I have been at it for 20 years now, I've found that it is harder and harder every year. It is a challenge. And pain is involved.
But, do I really need to write out the rewards? Of course, they outnumber the stars. And yes, each and every one of our kids, Hugo and I know in the deepest parts of our souls, are worth every bit of blood and sweat that both he and I shed on their behalf on a regular basis. And. There. Is. No. Small. Amount.
Deep inhale. Slow exhale.
Inspiring quotes do help. They do. But, so does humor. Hugo, what would we do without it, I ask you?!
Remember, back in the 80's the Bill Cosby video named, "Bill Cosby Himself?" Oh my gosh. I remember watching it again and again, laughing until it hurt...and I was still a teenager. I didn't even really get it. When I watch excerpts from it now, I pee my pants from laughing, because now I really get it. It's hysterical. Let's take a little walk down memory lane. Just a 4 minute walk. It's worth every minute. Laughter is some seriously powerful therapy, and it takes us from where the inspiring quotes leave us, to where we really want to be. Click Here. Have fun!
Another twofer formed as I wrote. I'm thankful for Challenge, and I'm thankful for the ability to laugh through it. Or because of it. Or in spite of it. Or even with it. And sometimes, at it.
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