Yes, becoming a parent can be exciting, but it’s also a tremendous challenge. Let’s not kid ourselves: nothing can really prepare the parent-to-be for what lays ahead. Sleepless nights, breastfeeding, cholic, illness… The list goes on. And, no matter how much our children change and grow, the challenge of parenting remains.
But we did it. We persevered; we made it through, day by day. We put one foot in front of the other and made it work. What choice did we have?
Gone are the days of taking my time. Finding time to get things done became the priority.
Being a parent taught me how to use my time wisely. If I had two hours while my kids were in preschool, I would race to the grocery store and run errands before they needed to be picked up. The same thing applies while I am at school. My classes are my babies. I have a slotted time to bask in their beauty; afterwards I might have an hour before I need to pick up my son, so I might spend time at the library—when it was open, that is—working on an assignment. Maybe I have 20 minutes in the parking lot while I wait for baseball practice to be over; I’ll use that time to read my course work. Being a parent made me realize that there is no right or perfect time—just random bits of time here and there, and you have to use the time when it comes.
Another thing parenting taught me was to enjoy the moments as they arrive—you will never get this time back. School can be overwhelming, and with multiple deadlines it can feel like climbing a mountain. Remind yourself why you are in school. Savour the time in class and appreciate the moments when learning something new. We may never have this opportunity again. I also find that doing this, being in the moment and focusing, creates more time on the weekends with my family.
Finally, parenting taught me that I am resilient. During any difficult situation, whether it is writing multiple papers or watching my child being wheeled into the operating room, I remind myself that this too shall pass. In the grand scheme of things, these challenges are just moments in time.
Sometimes we are thrown a curveball, and sometimes we hit a home run. Either way, we’re lucky enough to be able to play the game. Let’s enjoy this time while we can. School will be over in the blink of an eye, and, hopefully, after licking our wounds, we can look back, pat ourselves on the back, and smile—even at the unpleasant memories, because we did it, we made it through.
Now on to the next challenge.