Now here I am a day after my oldest child turned 13 reflecting. Arcadia was born ON Mother's Day in 2001 at 9 pm after a long miserable labor. I'm sorry, I don't think the labor process is a beautiful thing. I just don't I think it's gross and I had to make sure a each of my children were CLEAN before they handed them to me- judge all you want, it doesn't change my opinion or make me a bad mom. Although I didn't think the labor process was a beautiful thing, becoming a mother was.
In 13 years, Arcadia has taught me more about myself than I could imagine ever learning in a life time let alone 13 years. We have gone though ups and downs and awkward times in our relationship. When she was born, she taught me that the world does not revolve around me. That I could no longer just pick up and do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Nope, now things revolved around her. Was she tired, did she need a nap, did I have enough diapers to go out for the day, did I remember to bring a change of clothes? Was she hungry? Was she entertained. Did I sing to get enough, talk to her enough....the list goes on and on. There is nothing like having a newborn.
When she was 1, she taught me holidays don't need to be celebrated ON the designated day. My first valentines day married to my husband, poor Arcadia was so sick. She threw up countless times. We no longer had clean towels, sheets, blankets, nothing left in the house and I remember being so tired I just cried. This wasn't how valentines day was supposed to be right? Wrong, it's exactly how valentines day was meant to be. We just celebrated it later. We focused on Cade first and foremost. Steven and I celebrated later.
When she was in kindergarten she taught me about a lack of compassion. Imagine this: first day of kindergarten and an exchange happens between Arcadia and her phenomenal teacher Ms. Johnson. It looks like this:
Arcadia: Excise me, Ms. Johnson, where is my classroom? My mom dropped me off here, but I'm not quite sure this is where I belong.
Ms. Johnson: Why do you think that sweetheart? This is your classroom, come here and look at the cubby that has your name on it.
A: Well, my mom told me that I would learn how to read and write in this class, and learn shapes and things like that. Only, I already know how to read and wrote so where is the class for those kids?
We learned that not all kids learn at the same time and that everyone is different. We still struggle with this concept.
She taught me that common sense is not automatically ingrained in you- fast forward to 6th grade. We leave the house at the same time every morning, it's not a shocker, we go to school Monday-Friday. More than once I have heard this statement uttered from her lips, "Mom, we have to go back home! I forgot my shoes." Yeah, that actual sentence.
She taught me about the value of encouraging your kids to walk closely with God and to guard their hearts against so many things, starting from an early age. To learn that self worth comes from within, and God, not from friends or a boy or your parents, but God.
She taught me how to let her grow up-SLOWLY. That I didn't need to rush to her side ever time she fell. Every time she struggled and although my heat ached watching her, I watched her come out even more triumphant than before.
She taught me about putting your heart into everything. I watched her dance when she was little, I watched her play hard with friends, I watched her cheer 6 days every week and work hard on her tumbling. I watched her learn and get a perfect score on the state test, I watched her join every possible activity that her school had to offer in 5th and 6th grade: band, choir, her school play director, student leadership president, math club, junior Olympics, you name it, that kid did it.
She taught me how to love like no other. There is no love like a mother has for her child.
On that note, there wasn't any real point to this post other than for mere reflection on how awesome my kid is. :) and how much I love her and love being her mom. :)
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