Bathtub Meditations

As I was hurriedly getting ready to get out the door this morning, I spent a few minutes in the tub (very few!) pondering some things. I'd like to share a little of that with you.

I was realizing that, as age continues to creep up on me, I have the biblical mandate from God to share some of what I've learned with women younger than myself. That's a daunting task, as I often feel I haven't learned much. Please feel free to click on my "comments" below and add some of your own!



~Most important of all...enjoy them while they're young. It sounds very cliche', but it's true: they grow up too fast. I now have a teenager. When did that happen? It seems that just yesterday he was a little tow-headed toddler, following me around the house, and incessantly quoting Veggie Tales videos.

~Potty training does not last forever! Really! It seems like an eternity when you're laundering another pair of messy underpants. But seriously, it does not last "to infinity, and beyond." As someone wiser than myself once said: on college applications, they do not ask what age the student was when they were potty trained!

~It's okay that you don't know all the answers to every question. What a relief!

~Shower them with love. Don't spoil them, but shower them with love. There's a big difference.

~As much as you love them and long for a close relationship, your object is not to be their best friend. You are their PARENT. That is the role God gave you.

~Along that same line, boundaries are tough to enforce, but are absolutely necessary. Stick to your guns, mom. Someday, they will actually appreciate it.

~Save special things. I have a file for each of my boys, with all sorts of special keepsakes. Funny pictures, special things they've written (even things written for punishment--quite humorous at times!), grade cards... Of course, we can't save everything. But certain things are definitely "keepers". One day, you can hand those over to them. They will cherish those items.

~Show your love for Christ by example. It's a fact of life that little ones are going to interrupt your quiet times with God, unless you are up in the wee hours of the night (and sometimes even then!). But you know what? Even when they interrupt that time, they are seeing your example. They know that Mommy is spending time with God, even when they are begging for a drink or another pbj.

~Enjoy a good bubble bath now and then. It's a sanity saver! (Or a good caramel macchiato, or whatever is a good getaway for you.)

~Listen to advice from older moms. Some of it, you'll use. Some of it, you can set aside for later. Some of it, you'll simply discard in the recycle bin of your mind. But listen to it all. Even the most overbearing advice-givers can give you gems of wisdom.

That's all for this post...I look forward to what others will add!