Trusting Your Heart

I think that without a doubt parenting is one of the most, if not the most, difficult job. There is no manual, no “rules.” We are faced with thousands of decisions each day, constantly wondering if we are making the right choices.

With this difficult job also comes the biggest rewards – those smiling faces, the sounds of laughter, the joy and excitement we get to witness each day.

This is why I love reading and hearing stories about amazing parents. The kinds of stories that inspire us to see each day as an opportunity to revel in the amazing gift of parenthood. What do these parents do? They trust their heart.

Here is a great story I saw today on my Facebook news feed about a mom who trusted her heart when she was told many times that her autistic son would never speak again, and now he is a college student at 15 and possibly on track to win a Nobel Prize in Physics. (If you have the time, watch the entire video. It is quite inspiring). She encourages other parents, saying, “As parents, we know in our hearts what our kids need,” she says, “and we need to trust that a little more. Even if that goes against what others are saying.”

Something that really spoke to me from this interview is how this mom really watched her kids. She saw what they were interested in and helped to foster their interests. She let them explore and learn, often on their own terms.

I know this isn’t easy. Often times it is uncomfortable or inconvenient. So many of the things Ellie loves to do are messy and require a lot of clean up (playing in the rain, playing in the mud, visiting farms and feeding animals), but the joy I see on her face is so worth it!!

The best thing about trusting our heart is we don’t have to strive to parent kids that are geniuses or award winners. We just need to remember that we are enough for our children. Even on the days we wear pajamas all day. On the days they don’t eat vegetables. On the days we forget socks and shoes when we leave the house. WE ARE ENOUGH! When we trust our hearts we can give our kids what they need. Sometimes they need space, sometimes they need discipline, always they need love! I think if our kids know they are loved and know we will always fight for them, we are doing a pretty good job at this gift called parenting.