A Mom Awakening… But First, Love
We had a come to Jesus moment tonight…
A mom awakening if you will…
Tonight, one big sister at tennis lessons, another big sister rushed off to a neighborhood friend’s house to play, this FourNado was feeling left behind.
She made it known too. A massive meltdown. Lots of sobbing tears (probably because of her lack of sleep and nap refusal today too), gasping for breath, and flat out frustration.
I’ve witnessed a lot of these meltdowns. It’s exhausting. Why doesn’t she do this for anyone else?! It’s easy to just walk away and ignore them. I could redirect her attention. Do all the things “they” say to do and the behavioral books suggest. But I saw her tiny face and I thought about myself. When I’m stressed, when my anxiety is raging, when I’m an emotional wreck… what do I need MOST in those moments?
Safety. Security. And most of all LOVE.
I stopped my attempted workout. Pulled her close as she wrestled me, screaming, fussing. And I held her. I stroked her hair. I rubbed her back. I told her it was going to be okay and that I was right here. “Annie, do you know how much mommy loves you?”
“To the moon and back, momma.”
She calmed. She wiped her tears. She took some deep breaths. And she collapsed into my arms with a big sigh.
This. This is what they need. This is what our children need.
They need love.
They need to know that we are right here for them. That sometimes things are hard. Emotions are scary. Growing up is a challenge. But we as parents will be here when they need us, and even when they don’t. They tantrum for us mommas because we’re their safe space. We have the ability to calm them, hold them close, and give them our heart and soul.
There won’t be a lot of moments like this for long. She’ll continue to outgrow my arms. She’ll need me less and less. Brush me off. And roll her eyes. But for now, I need her to know that I’m not going anywhere, especially when it gets difficult. And out of all the things we can do for our children, the greatest of those is love, acceptance, and belonging.
