We all have THOSE days.
You know, the ones where the baby won’t stop crying, the toddler’s full of mischief and drawn on the couch/walls/dog… again, and you’ve tried all day but still haven’t managed to hang out the washing or empty the dishwasher.
Then, when you do finally get everyone dressed and out of the house, a stranger offers you some ‘helpful’ advice that makes you feel as if you’re doing this whole parenting thing wrong.
Yep, you’re on edge and ready to throw in the towel.
And then you take refuge in Facebook, Twitter, a blog, etc for a few moments.
And you watch a video like this one, an incredibly strong, brave woman named Lacey Buchnanan being the best mum she can be despite such incomprehensible adversity.
I’ve seen this video several times now and it still makes me cry, but not for the hurdles this mum and her son face (he was born without eyes and with a cleft lip and palate). Instead, I cry because of her raw love and absolute pride in him.
He is her baby and she loves him unconditionally – any condition or diagnosis is irrelevant when it comes to the depth of her emotion.
And he clearly knows just how loved he is. So the little cherub showers his mummy with the best gifts a parent can ever receive – their child’s love, laughter and smiles.
Life’s little gifts
It shouldn’t, but sometimes it takes hearing someone else’s story and seeing their utter devotion to their child for us to stop and realise just what we have.
Personally, I know just how lucky I am to have my kids. My daughter was unexpectedly born prematurely at 32 weeks and I’m still haunted by the first conversation I had with a doctor after her birth where he discussed her “viability”.
It was a heart-wrenching moment that I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
Luckily her condition quickly improved and three years on, she’s a happy, healthy, mischievous little monkey that leads her little brother astray.
She is a gift. I am truly blessed to have her and her brother in my life, even if they do sometimes test my patience!
As parents, we are all fortunate to have our beautiful babies no matter what challenges we may face. And they all are beautiful babies!
As they grow, we may not always agree with their choices but we must remember how incredibly lucky we are to have them in our lives.
So next time you’re at the end of your tether and you think that things are just so hard, take a moment to sit back and really take a look at where you’re at. I’m sure you’ll agree it’s not really all that bad after all.
Originally posted on our sister site www.babybargains.com.au
