Dear Weary Mom, The Hardest Lesson

It’s Thursday.  I love Thursdays.  Thursdays around here are for dishing up truth and hope and grace about mothering.  And I’m so glad you are here to join me.  So let’s get going . . .

This mothering gig is so much harder than I ever thought it would be.  And I’m so much worse at it than I thought I’d be. Seriously, I thought I’d be awesome! Especially at having a teenager.  I mean, my husband was youth pastor for years.  Parenting a child of our own would be a breeze after that. {Yeah, go ahead and laugh.  It’s okay.  It sounds just as ridiculous to me now as it does to you.}

Let’s face it, being a mom is harder than we thought it would be. And we all have moments when we wonder if we are failing.

And, if I’m going to be honest, I may as well get this out there too:  I don’t really like it all the time.  I miss the freedom I had before my girl to go and do.  I miss quiet nights with my husband and lazy Saturdays with no one asking, “What are we going to do today?”  Giving up what I want doesn’t come naturally to me and I resist it all. the. time.

dear weary mom || www.terilynneunderwood.com/blog

But these days of eye rolls and messy rooms and picky eaters and the never. ending. laundry and figuring out what to do about cell phones and social media and knowing dating is just around the corner … it will pass.  And while I’m not sure I’ll miss the eye rolls, I am 1000% sure I’ll miss fixing her hair for special events and picking out the best nail polish and watching her sing and dance and cheer.

Today, sweet weary mom, tired of the heat and the whining and fixing snacks and trying to find a fairly dry beach towel, I get it.  I really do.  We all do.  We’ve all been there, are there, or are heading back there.  A friend once told me, “The days are long but the years are short.”  Oh girl!  These days have been  l.o.n.g. lately.  But when I look ahead and think in just five years my daughter will be preparing for her first year in college, time seems very short.

So, here’s part my plan for the next few weeks:

  • Eat more ice cream.
  • Watch more movies.
  • Start redecorating her room.
  • Have a girls night out.
  • Laugh more.
  • Say “yes” more than “no.”

When I look at this girl, I realize she’s amazing!

the girl at the beach

Funny, beautiful, caring, and loyal … she inspires me all the time.   And being her mom, exhausting as it can be, remains one of the greatest joys of my life. I don’t want to lose sight of that!

So today, I’m chasing after the beauty in the long days … because I don’t want to miss a single moment.  Will you join me?

With love,

Teri Lynne

 Linking up with some of my favorite encouragers at Hope for the Weary Mom today …

Dear Weary Mom www.terilynneunderwood.com/blog

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