Ten years ago today our lives changed forever as we welcomed a beautiful baby boy into the world. Ten years, a decade, has passed in the blink of an eye. Lessons have been learned abundantly through the years. These stand out as the ten most important:
- Life changes. Thomas Rhett sings the lyrics well. Take each day as it passes. Some days you will yell, some days you will cry, some days you celebrate, and no two days are the same. Celebrate today and take the ups and downs as they come. From diapers to puberty questions, life changes. Embrace it all.
- Family is everything. We have not been strangers to challenges, nor triumphs. At the end of the day, our family is there. No questions asked.
- Laugh. Anxiety can build at any age. We rush to say, you’re young, enjoy yourself. Kids can be complicated and challenging. Laugh with them and listen to them.
- Be present. Put the phone down and listen to your children. Play with them and let them know you are there for their stories, big and small.
- Show up. We do not recall each game or event our parents attended but seeing the way our children’s eyes find us on the field let’s us know they are watching. They know we are watching them. Win or lose, we show up and we celebrate their effort either way.
- Make the milestones memorable. We missed our child’s first Christmas because she was hospitalized. Since then, we enjoy every celebratory milestone and make some traditions up to celebrate just because… Missing one makes each one to follow more important to remember and cherish.
- Don’t be so hard on yourself. We all make mistakes. Get back up and be vulnerable. To your children, you are still the best.
- Be grateful. We are grateful for all we have and want our kids to look on the bright side, strive to be the best version of themselves, and celebrate their natural talents and strengths.
- Capture the moments. Traveling through ten years in photos makes it all seem more surreal (& real!). Technology has made it easier today than it was ten years ago to capture the moments with clarity for today, tomorrow, and the future.
- Don’t Blink. Kenny Chesney’s words bring a tear to my eye because ten years have gone by in a blink.
Here is to listening, loving, and savoring the moments. Happy birthday to our baby boy.