When our children are new, regardless of how they come to us and especially that first child, they bring awe to every moment. We cherish their glee, their gas, their tiny toes, the sweet beauty in their sleeping faces. We celebrate their early steps, the first time they hit a ball, ride a bike. We are amazed at their accomplishments, witness to the miracle of human development and the opportunity to see our own history in the faces of our children.
Recently, in the face of real challenges, my children have inspired awe in me. Not in those sweet accomplishments we document in baby books and post to social media, but in the coping skills our children have had to learn either to face society or, more often, to face themselves. I’m in awe of the strength our sweet children find in themselves, strength to plow through, move forward, pursue dreams even when life’s hurdles seem unrelenting.
Parenting is never easy and rarely forgiving. It is, however, a constant source of awe-inspiring moments and joy when we are witness to our children rising up to a place where we can see in them a better version of ourselves.
Nancy Wiley writes. 