This post has been making waves in mom circles all over the internet today after its publication on the Huff Post Parents page. In it, blogger/writer Glennon Melton articulates her thoughts on the notion of savoring every moment with our children–how she’s left feeling when someone else reminds her to do so and her own take on enjoying parenting in strides. I personally enjoyed the article wholeheartedly, and here’s why:

-She’s real. Honest, open, vulnerable in that way, and likely inside the minds of millions of moms who struggled at some point this week while running errands with their kids.

-She’s not trying to negate the support of a fellow mom, but rather to express how it made her feel in the moment. Can’t fault her for it–we all have these thoughts from time to time. I can relate well from the standpoint that she left the store chewing on it and deemed it worthy of a blog post later. There’s also some beautiful mommy revelations to be had throughout. Nuggets of wisdom I hope to remember, for sure.

-It’s obvious she loves her children a great deal. And she’s practical about loving them in a way that meets their needs, and her own. A mom who is comfortable in her own skin is a marvelous thing. We should all be so teachable.

Glennon’s thoughts that I’m convinced are absolute pearls of wisdom:

-“I think parenting young children (and old ones, I’ve heard) is a little like climbing Mount Everest. Brave, adventurous souls try it because they’ve heard there’s magic in the climb. They try because they believe that finishing, or even attempting the climb are impressive accomplishments. They try because during the climb, if they allow themselves to pause and lift their eyes and minds from the pain and drudgery, the views are breathtaking. They try because even though it hurts and it’s hard, there are moments that make it worth the hard. These moments are so intense and unique that many people who reach the top start planning, almost immediately, to climb again.”

-“There was a famous writer who, when asked if he loved writing, replied, “No. but I love having written.”

As a side note, I (Molly) do love writing, but it’s true that having written can be ohsomuch more gratifying most days. When it’s late at night and I’m tired, I write so that I can go to bed knowing I’ve written. Kind of like working out, for me at least.

-“Parenting is hard. Just like lots of important jobs are hard. Why is it that the second a mother admits that it’s hard, people feel the need to suggest that maybe she’s not doing it right? Or that she certainly shouldn’t add more to her load. Maybe the fact that it’s so hard means she IS doing it right…in her own way…and she happens to be honest.”

And then of course, the ENTIRE bit about kairos vs chronos time at the end. After reading it, I was challenged to think, “kairos” to myself every time I looked at Henry today and everything else stood still. And you know what? It happened over and over again. If you’re a mom, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND READING THIS POST. You may not agree with all of it, and that’s ok. It hit the spot for me. I was honestly laughing and tearing up at the same time, and thinking all the while, “Yes, yes and YES!” I don’t know Glennon Melton from Adam, but if I met her, I have a feeling I’d really like her. Perhaps someday I’ll write a post that reaches out and grabs another mom the same way this one did me.

It’s lovely not to feel alone, isn’t it mamas? And there are a lot of us out there, doing our thing the best we can–whether we’re aware of the army of other mama’s out there doing the same thing in their own beautiful way, or not. Glennon is out there. As am I.

embracing the kairos moments,

mm