In the world of mothering, heck, in the world of life we all need a pick-me up from our every day.
Today, my pick-me up came in the form of a dozen toddlers.
I was asked to substitute in our church's nursery. The children are age 18mo to 3yrs. I had 2 girls and the rest were boys.
When my children were that young I dreaded being asked to substitute in nursery, mostly because I constantly felt overwhelmed (and also was dealing with post-partum depression).
Now that my children are older, I find that I miss that age. I personally think I shine best with the 2 - 5 yr old group. They are eager to learn & be trained, you can be silly (and everyone thinks you are doing it for the benefit of the children - ha!), and most problems can be solved with a hug and/or kiss (even some cheerios).
Don't get me wrong, I love my children and we have fun together - different kinds of fun.
I just found myself smiling and feeling energized in the nursery today - I got to act silly, sing silly songs and help each child find that perfect toy. Seriously, I forgot how fun nursery can be.
I also think I got a glimpse of what every experienced mother tried to tell me when I had very young children - enjoy them because they grow up so fast.
I think most journeys are like that. I was so busy being a mom that I forgot to enjoy all the crazy moments with my children and now, I wish I had (although I am striving to enjoy all the crazy moments we are currently having!).
I am sure when I end this walking journey there are going to be things that I miss or things I wish I had concentrated more on (for the life of me I can't think what those "things" might be). Maybe, just maybe, I can apply this lesson before the year is up or apply it to next year's journey or even better to my life journey.
Either way, I am glad for the little pick-me up a group of toddlers gave me at church today.
Happy Walking!
I remember when you were the nursery leader in our ward--everyone said you were fantastic! Maybe it is your niche.
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