Recently, I have had occasion to reflect on my parenting experience. As I do so, I recognize that people from the same family can have completely different experiences of their parents. When a child is born, he or she is born at a certain time, into a certain set of circumstances. In my own case, the parenting experience spanned thirty three years, from the time my first child was born, until my last child graduated from high school. That is a long time! Many things can change.
To hear siblings talk about their experiences in their family, it would not be unusual for the listener to sometimes think they came from completely different families. Each child's experience is unique. Over a span of thirty three years, circumstances could have changed many times!
For Gerry, his span or parenting covers forty four years from the time his first child was born, until the last one graduated from high school. That would include seven children parented in all.
We have always delighted in adding up those numbers and claiming collectively 77 years of parenting experience!
As a mother, when I think of my own mother, my children and their children, I come to one profound conclusion, at least about mothering. The ultimate life lesson is to forgive ourselves and our mothers. We all do the very best we can at the time, in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.
Nothing is harder. Nothing more painful. Nothing more worthwhile.
No comments:
Post a Comment