Then and Now

I've been sufficiently rocked by the last week, something had to give and so it ended with silence from The Mundane Details. Either there was nothing mundane to report or all was just too mundane to record and heaven forbid others must hear about it. I believe it was the latter. The sum total of the last week was illness, work, chores, insomnia and a sickly child.

More importantly we reached a minor milestone last Friday (not so mundane) which insighted much reflection on my part. The little one turned 18 months on the 14th! It was eighteen months ago that my life was forever changed. When I was pregnant it was not uncommon for a parent to tell me, "Just wait, it will change your life." Always with the emphasis on the "Oh, you just wait." Like I was joining them in some painful punishment they have been sentenced to and I rarely heard the good stuff.

They were certainly right, life did change. My heart is bigger, I love more intensely, I have a greater appreciation for the littlest accomplishments, my faith is greater, I'm less selfish and I am an overall more fulfilled person. Life is a tremendous blessing and I appreciate this life more observing it through the eyes of someone experiencing it all for the first time. I remember how entertaining it was to watch the little one learn to sit. She would take tiny steps backward, feel her legs hit the object, then squat until her rear touched down. The fireplace hearth turned out to be the perfect height for her to practice and she would repeat the process over and over again, with a big smile. Such a simple task yet a tremendous concept.

Not to say it hasn't been difficult. The rough times are harder to remember, another way nature fools us into repeating the process I guess. But as in life, the pain and struggles that I have so far met in parenting have made me a wiser and more loving mom. I can't imagine returning to life as it was 19 months ago, nor would I ever wish to.