An honest confession – I love and even like my children but I don’t enjoy my children.
That’s hard to admit, makes me feel terrible as a mother.
I am a good mother – I care for them, cook for them, meet most of their emotional needs, champion them, teach them, chauffeur them all over town, want the best for them but I don’t usually enjoy them.
I have five children – my two oldest are adults and live on their own. I have sweet relationships with both of my older children, that’s easy, well, easier – we have “adult” life in common but my three younger girls I have less patience and tolerance for.
I homeschool my children and have the amazing blessing of being in a community of other moms once a week. I watch them with their children, some of them seem to really enjoy their kids. Now, I know we all have bad days and of course in a public setting we are all on our best behaviors, but you can just tell as they interact with their kids that they really enjoy them. It’s sweet! It challenges me! 
I want to enjoy my children now not just when they become adults.
So 2017 God saw fit to give me the word “Love” for this year. He has alot to teach me in this area and one of those things is to learn how to really enjoy the relationship I “get” to have with my girls before they move out of my house. To learn to play and laugh and listen and really be present with them in our days together.
I am so grateful for a heavenly Father who doesn’t see us through eyes of judgement frowning upon our missed opportunitues and failures but rather through the eyes of love championing us to not look back over our shoulders at the regrets behind us but to focus on the sweet moments ahead. He never gives up on us.
So, when you think of me, please offer a sweet prayer that I am choosing to slow down and savor this time in my life that will be gone before I know it! To value the treasure He has entrusted me with! To notice the little things that make each day a gift! To love my girls well and really enjoy all the sweet things about each one!
