Motherhood is full of surprises. Some are frustrating, scary, challenging or tragic. Some are joyful and beautiful. Join Saren and April as they discuss some of the hard and wonderful surprises that motherhood has brought to them.
Posts in the "Getting Through Hard Times" category:
Growth Means Growing Pains for Child–and Parent
Because we expect “progress” to mean “improvement,” we sometimes forget that growth means “growing pains” both physically and emotionally for both parent and child. Just as my son’s joints ached as he grew four inches over a summer, so too do we hurt sometimes as we stretch to new heights in our lives together.
They Really Do Grow Up!
It can be hard to really enjoy the “now” when you’re getting slammed by so many hard things all the time. It can be easier to see the beauty in things that are past than in things that are present. Saren shares some ideas for cherishing the beautiful precious present with our children.
Living for Wednesday
As moms we have hard days. Someone is sick, jobs are lost, days are long, money is tight, messes are made, things don’t go as planned. But there is a bright tomorrow. Maybe it’s not a literal tomorrow, but there is an ending to the difficulties somewhere in your future.
Humbled By the Unexpected
Before Nate’s birth, I had what I thought was a pretty good life. I had a husband who was working two jobs to take care of our family, two sweet little girls, and a home we loved. But I didn’t realize how shallow I had become.
The Perfect Storm
Have you ever had one of those school breaks when everything goes wrong? When 100 things all combine to make it horrible? We just had one, and I never want it to happen again.
The Full Truth
I don’t know exactly why postpartum depression hit me with the last birth and not the first two–and though that is frustrating, I’ve come to realize that I am just not privy to the full truth of hormones, sleep deprivation and postpartum life. To get through postpartum depression (and the difficulties of motherhood generally), I found a few strategies that have worked for me and have helped me develop more patience with myself and my kids.
Spiritual Sundays: Even That Fear Is Love
When author Heather Craw gave birth to preterm twins after a very complicated pregnancy, she realized that the fears and worries she felt during that difficult time were actually a form of love.
A Deep, Uncomfortable Patience
All day, I had a sense I was forgetting something. If I could just remember it, my sense of unease would disappear. But I was surprised to realize I was not forgetting a task or an item to check off my to-do list. Instead, I was forgetting to have a deep patience with my own homesickness.
Love, The Hard Way
After 15 years as a mother, the reasons why I think it’s so important to be there for my kids are not what you would think. The real reasons are the hard stuff. The “no fun” stuff. I want to be the one that takes care of all those things. Because I know that my husband and I love these kids more than anyone else on earth.
You Don’t Have to Like It
“Life and motherhood occasionally present us with circumstances that are trying, but misery is optional.” Rachel Sullivan shares her story of peace and growth after loosing an eye to cancer and through the struggles of motherhood.
These Are the Best Days of Your Life
I knew that when I grew up, I’d go to college, get married, and then have children of my own. My husband and I suffered through several miscarriages and five frustrating years of disappointments in the baby department. Perhaps the life I had always envisioned was not the one I was meant to have.