Reflecting On The Journey

I’m hoping this finds you well before a week of togetherness and food with family and friends.

This last week I have been reflecting on my parenting journey. Ila, our eldest, turned 10 on Friday. She was born at home during a planned home birth and each year I reenact her birth story because our living room is the site of her delivery. Ha!

I have learned so much about myself over these last 10 years. The 2012 version of me and the 2022 version of me are delightfully different. I have both challenged and embraced parts of how I was parented. I have challenged myself on the right ways to parent. And, I am learning more about how to parent our first child and her siblings in ways that honor their unique personalities, interests, and growing edges.

Ila and I at Nick's parents' house in 2014

In the weeks leading up to this milestone, I have concluded that parenting is mostly an inward reflection to outwardly steward a life. Parenting is not a list of rules. It is not a comparison between peers or our kids’ peers. It is not the parenting practices of our parents. It certainly is not perfection. And, it is not easy. Parenting is a practice in self-reflection to understand our whys so that we may create space for this new person to explore their whys. When we lack the introspection of our lived experiences, we pass on traditions that may not truly serve us or our kids down the line. 

At this 10-year mark, I can attest that being a parent has made me a better person. It has revealed my flaws and it has allowed me to demonstrate deep, unconditional love to imperfect humans (and not just the ones that live in my house).

Ila and I at her sleep away camp this past summer

I am acutely aware that at this 10-year mark, I am still very much at the beginning of my parenting journey. But, I can’t imagine the version of me that I will be in the next 10-years. Thinking about it makes me excited.

Sending my best for a great week ahead.

Petrushka

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