Lucky
People have been telling me how lucky the Babe is to be with Taylor and me right now. We’ve been told how noble and selfless we are to open our hearts and home to her, and how wonderful we are for loving her.
And maybe she is lucky. Maybe we will turn out to be decent parents who can teach an already-great kid to function well in the world. That would be cool.
But I can’t help but feel awkward when we are praised and lauded. I don’t feel like we are doing anything extraordinary. That is, we are not doing anything above or beyond what any parent would do.
I’ve seen parents wait by the hospital bed of their child, simply hoping for another breath, another sunrise to see his smile. I’ve known parents who have never met their children. We all know parents who patiently clean up throw up off their favorite chair, out of their hair, off their shoes. Parents who stay up all night making the perfect birthday cake or adding the last finishing touches to Christmas and Easter before heading to bed themselves. Parents who make noodle soup 8 nights a week because it’s someone’s favorite dish and she isn’t feeling well.
And all those children are lucky to have parents. Parents who love them.
But I’ll wager that the parents feel the more blessed by their child(ren). My Daddy has said it time and again, as we all continue to grieve after Momma died, that he has been so blessed by their children. Their crowning glory. Their saints for the kingdom of God.
Children teach us things we never knew we needed to know. “Unless you become like children..”
Aren’t we the lucky ones? Lucky to be in love with her, to watch her grow and to be able to reciprocate her love?
all three of you are lucky – she is lucky to have you and T and you are both blessed with her presence. But the thing with parents is that each parenting act you described makes that child lucky in his/her own way. No child is more or less lucky than any other child with parents who love them. I think that is the mystery and miracle within parenting – “what any parent would do” encompasses innumerable beautiful, selfless acts, none of which are greater or lesser than the other, but just what a parent would do to best take care of their child in that given situation.
Exactly! We aren’t particularly remarkable parents, but we *are* parents.. perhaps that’s the remarkable thing now’days. Thanks for the Love, Emily 🙂
She is lucky to be with you. Not every child is privileged to be with good parents who are patient and show their love readily. You would not have her in your home if everyone had good parents..
It is noble to be a parent. Every parent makes sacrifices. It is the nature of the job. However, it is more noble to care for a child who you do not know whether you will be able to have the satisfaction of seeing her grow into a woman and see how she turnsout. It is as hard as sitting beside a hospital bed. Therefore, your sacrifice is as great. But, we all hope for a future in which Bebe is “legally” a Black.
Don’t feel so awkward receiving such comments. Take it with grace 😉
there’s that gracious acceptance again.. *sigh* 🙂