We mothers do a lot of waiting, don’t we?
We wait for our children to be born
The first trimester can be full of morning sickness and nervous excitement. The second is full of preparation and (more) nervous excitement. The third has us big and bloated and waiting to pop! I remember at 7 1/2 months struggling to get up from the gym matt and saying, ‘Well, that’s my last trip for a while!’
We wait for our children to grow, walk, talk, listen
From the time our children are born, our patience can be s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d. Babies are helpless and needy. We wait for them to gain their first steps, their first words, their first…. And this goes on until, well — forever. We wait for them to read, to play sports, to learn a musical instrument, to learn how to drive, to go on a first date, to get their first job… Everything is waiting, and that’s okay because they’ll do all these things when they’re ready. But we wait, in excited anticipation because we’re their mothers:)
We wait for our children to get home
They’ve got the car (or taken the bus, train) and we wait for them to be at home again, where we know they are safe and sound. We want them to enjoy themselves and yet, we want to make sure they’re not in any danger and our imaginations can go wild if we let them… We mustn’t let them!
We wait for our children to get in touch…
And of course when they do the inevitable: when they strike out on their own, we wait for them to get in touch.
That’s the stage I’m at.
My son has left home, and is on his own. He doesn’t get in touch much and I love it when he does. But at least with What’sApp I know he’s alive if I text and he’s seen it. At least I know he’s on the receiving end.
And I don’t text too often. Just occasionally, to let him know my thoughts, or that I love him:)
Waiting but getting on
And with all this waiting, what is also happening?
We are getting on with our lives. We’re having a bath when the baby is asleep. Or we’re meeting with friend, family, spouse or putting our head in a book or the laptop.
We’re keeping busy or being fulfilled with our own lives… even though we’re waiting in the background.
The waiting never ends, though it changes shape. And how we wait changes shape too, doesn’t it?
Waiting and growing, learning and exploring
We’re doing the growing and learning and exploring just as they do, in tandem with them.
Life is a constant ebb and flow, with waiting as a part of it.
This perspective keeps me patient. Keeps me productive, Keeps me engaged, without worry or expectation or regret.
Blessings all as we wait for the next stage of parenthood, whatever that may be…