Recently I was in a noisy restaurant with some friends and acquaintances recently when I heard someone behind me say, “Before I became a parent, I never thought I would ever…”
It caught my ear so I turned to find it was a friend, the mother of a three-year-old, who had started the sentence. I asked her to repeat herself. “Before I became a parent, I never thought I would ever bribe a kid to eat.”
Isn’t hindsight so interesting? My friend’s confession sparked a list of things I never thought I would do before I started this parenting journey:
- Let a child cry it out
- Hide out in the bathroom
- Throw up because I’d been thrown up on
- Be willing to talk about my feelings in order to model acceptance
- Break out in a smile listening to my kids eat because I know which one is which just by the sound of them biting a chip
- Find it intimately sweet to rock a tender life to sleep
- Be so tired that I’d fall asleep mid-sentence
- Love any one so steadfastly and fiercely
What about you? Has hindsight changed any of your “Never would I ever” vows in life?
I’ve also published a post on my personal blog: Fear and Courage
My other projects include hosting a podcast that features inspirational creatives and being part of a team that teaches/speaks about corporate creativity. My book about my journey to find what fueled my dad’s indelible spark and twinkle can be found on Amazon: Finding My Father’s Faith.
You can find me on Instagram and Twitter @wynneleon
(featured photo from Pexels)