came flooding back as I was paging through one of my old photo albums, recently.
My sister-in-law, the second one on the left (pictured below), and I were mothers of girls
in elementary school, middle school, and high school, at the time of these pictures. We
were smack dab in the middle of the nitty gritty of motherhood. Neither one of us had
taken college courses on mothering, or attended any special seminars on how it is
done. No, we, along with many of our family and friends who also were mothers,
were learning as we went. When time allowed, which was not very often, we would
share our hearts, seek advice, and pour out our frustrations. There were the emotional
upheavals, the mood swings, the personality clashes, and the friendship hurdles. At
times, we were sure we would not make it through, and yet, during it all, the blessings
were there. The joys were there. The light at the end of the tunnel was there, however
faint it appeared at times.
Now, these daughters are all in the mothering roles that we were in. We are now the
older ones, the grandmas to their sweet little ones. It is our turn to sit and listen to them
share their own mothering woes and joys. "How do you handle this situation?" "What about
television and computer rules"? Yes, their little ones are still young, but we can see it
coming. The middle school and high school years are right around the corner. We clearly
see that we have switched roles. But, we are still continuing to learn in the new arena we
find ourselves in now. Give advice, only when asked, our ways aren't always the "right"
ways, there could be other solutions than the ones we adhered too, and silence is often
golden. They will learn too. They will fail at times like we did, then they will pick them-
selves up, dust themselves off, and go on. Before you know it, they will be where we
are. Things change, new generations present their own unique hurdles and difficulties.
But one thing that does not change, is the privilege of praying for our children, our
grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It is a gift that I am most thankful for, the prayers
that were prayed for me, and the ones I can offer for them, as they walk the parenting
pathway of life.
"Prayer For Protection"
"The light of God surrounds us;
The love of God enfolds us;
The power of God protects us;
The presence of God watches over us;
Wherever we are, God is!"
~James Dillet Freeman (1912 - 2003)
6 comments:
Give advice only when asked...that's the hard part. I play in a Bunko group where the ages range from 24 to 70 something. I find myself talking to those young girls as if I just had my own babies but then I realize they are the same age as my oldest son. It's hard to keep your mouth closed sometimes.
When it comes to technology, I've said it over and over but I'm glad we didn't have the connection to cell phones that new moms have now. I see them pushing babies and talking on the phone...glad that wasn't an option for us. :)
OH, not a day goes by that I do not pray for my kids, their spouses and the Grans. And, my Mom did the same thing and that's something I've missed since she passed away. Sweet post!
Such a great post Judy, I remember these days so well and your photos reflect some of mine taken at the same period in history...although the American fashion is always a little different from the British fashion :)
I bought a book way back then called How to Pray fro your Children by Quin Sherrer, it was then and is now, such a great help when praying for our family.
OH MY. Thank you, mother-dearest, for reminding me of my big hair and obvious (in the first picture) teenage attitude. ;)
So true! I was just listening to my daughter talk in the car today about parenting. Her eight year old came home from school with a phone number and wanted to call this girl and she had to make a decision on whether this would be normal routine. It made me think about how many decisions we as parents make along the way while we raise our children. I know it is by God's grace our children are where they are today and I am thankful we can continue to entrust the next generation to His care.
Also, mom, your words were so poignant and sweet. I couldn't have asked for a better mom, then or now.
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