What Watching Parenthood Helped Me Remember

I've spent the past couple of years or more seeing a good number of my parent friends on Facebook raving about the show Parenthood. Being the rebel I am, and typically not wanting to do what everybody else does, I resisted watching. Until now, that is. I decided to go ahead and give it a try this week. It took a couple of episodes to really get into it, but once I did, man, was I hooked! Have any of you recently been bitten by the Parenthood bug, or am I the only one? 

The thing I love most about the show is all of the different life stages of the family that it covers, and how they're constantly fighting to keep their family together and work through their problems. It perfectly displays the imperfections in marriage and of being a parent.

 As I sit here and write, my daughter is running around in the backyard playing with her imaginary friends and having the time of her life while her little brother finishes up his nap in his crib. Every day, multiple times a day, my daughter tells me that I'm her best friend, and is always willing to let me hug, snuggle and tickle her. I realize the parent-child best friend thing is totally taboo, but I'm going to enjoy it for as long as it lasts. I know all of this will be a fond memory one day, but I do hope and pray that through all of the teenage hormones and the difficult transition into adulthood that both of my children will always look to me for guidance, encouragement and love. 

My biggest reminder while watching this TV show is how our children won't always be little. I sometimes forget that one day they're going to be teenagers, and it's even more easy to forget they're going to be adults some day! That's so hard to even imagine. It's so easy to get caught up in how cute my children are and the funny little things that they do and say, but it doesn't stop there. It won't be long before, I'll be having real conversations with each of them about real life things. Am I the only one that sometimes forgets that parenting isn't just this stage of life? That there will be issues bigger than if my child gets desert or if it's ok for her to go outside and play? It's a little bit terrifying to think about, if I'm being completely honest. I know that most of parenting is a "learn as you go" type of experience, but it's incredibly difficult to imagine how some of these conversations will unfold later on down the line. 

I'm certainly up for the challenge of raising my children to be the best that they can be and to pursue the Lord wholeheartedly throughout the course of their lives. That's certainly my prayer for each of them, and for my husband and I as well. Living out our faith in front of our children is something I value more than anything, but I certainly don't always succeed. It's hard being a mom!! It's difficult knowing exactly how to handle every situation that comes our way! So whether the difficult talks are well into the future or you're in the thick of it right now, let me give you a word of encouragement! You're not alone! Us momma's are striving to be the best that we can be for our children and to love them the best way we know how! So don't get discouraged. Be encouraged! Hold them for as long as they let you, and keep fighting the good fight to love your children and raise them well! <3