Another exerpt from "Treasures of a Mother's Heart"- this is really very touching.
CHANGING WITH THE SEASONS
~~~~~~~
Spring begins with the birth of the first child and lasts until the youngest starts school.
Summer runs through the children's grade-school years and fades into fall when your children hit their teens.
Winter comes when the nest is empty. It begins when your youngest child leaves home.
In Spring, moms will do well to direct most of their energies toward their growing children. Many of the mothers who experience feelings of isolation and disillusionment about motherhood are those who give up everything for the sake of rearing their children. Although some sacrifice is essential, especially during the baby's first year, being a mother doesn't supercede who you are. Even during phase one, you can plan some activities. I would simply encourage you to grow as your children grow. Being a mom offers a perfect environment for personal growth.
In the Summer, while children are in school, you may want to indulge in an extracurricular activity, perhaps take a class or two, work part-time, do volunteer work. This will give you a new frontier, offer a challenge, and still give you the freedom to be home when the kids are. Summer isn't a time when the kids will need you less- on the contrary, in many ways they'll need you more. But there are more blocks of free time when the kids are in school or playing.
In Fall, it is important that you are there as a mom. You might think that if you had more time when the kids were in grade school, you can count on even more free time during their teen years. Not so. Perhaps more than any of the seasons, it's a time for understanding and unconditional love. Even though your teenagers will often seem too busy to even notice whether or not your're gone, believe me, they'll notice. This isn't the time to take on too much extra work. Yet there is still time, during school and when they're gone, to pursue your other interests.
Then there's Winter. Then kids are gone and you can move into whatever gear you want; full-time work, part-time, hobbies, volunteer work. But whatever you do, if you've prepared the way, you'll find the empty nest won't hurt so much or fell quite so empty. This is a season for you to come into full bloom. Winter isn't the end- it's just the beginning.
Motherhood never ends, it just turns with the seasons.
CHANGING WITH THE SEASONS
~~~~~~~
Spring begins with the birth of the first child and lasts until the youngest starts school.
Summer runs through the children's grade-school years and fades into fall when your children hit their teens.
Winter comes when the nest is empty. It begins when your youngest child leaves home.
In Spring, moms will do well to direct most of their energies toward their growing children. Many of the mothers who experience feelings of isolation and disillusionment about motherhood are those who give up everything for the sake of rearing their children. Although some sacrifice is essential, especially during the baby's first year, being a mother doesn't supercede who you are. Even during phase one, you can plan some activities. I would simply encourage you to grow as your children grow. Being a mom offers a perfect environment for personal growth.
In the Summer, while children are in school, you may want to indulge in an extracurricular activity, perhaps take a class or two, work part-time, do volunteer work. This will give you a new frontier, offer a challenge, and still give you the freedom to be home when the kids are. Summer isn't a time when the kids will need you less- on the contrary, in many ways they'll need you more. But there are more blocks of free time when the kids are in school or playing.
In Fall, it is important that you are there as a mom. You might think that if you had more time when the kids were in grade school, you can count on even more free time during their teen years. Not so. Perhaps more than any of the seasons, it's a time for understanding and unconditional love. Even though your teenagers will often seem too busy to even notice whether or not your're gone, believe me, they'll notice. This isn't the time to take on too much extra work. Yet there is still time, during school and when they're gone, to pursue your other interests.
Then there's Winter. Then kids are gone and you can move into whatever gear you want; full-time work, part-time, hobbies, volunteer work. But whatever you do, if you've prepared the way, you'll find the empty nest won't hurt so much or fell quite so empty. This is a season for you to come into full bloom. Winter isn't the end- it's just the beginning.
Motherhood never ends, it just turns with the seasons.
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