Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Time-consuming (02/24/11)
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TITLE: Finally | Previous Challenge Entry
By Lori Jones
03/03/11 -
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The day of my daughter's birth had arrived and after a grueling 36 hour labor, I finally held her in my arms. The volumes of baby books I had read over the last nine months had not prepared me for the sleep deprivation that followed. In the dark of her yellow-walled nursery, I prayed to God that my precious child would quickly fall asleep so I could return to the warmth of my bed. I knew eventually the day would arrive that she would sleep through the night, and I confess, I bargained with the Lord in those desperate wee hours of the morning for that day to arrive soon.
As all childhood phases do, the baby days expired, replaced by the challenging toddler years. Life would be simpler if I could get her out of diapers, so fervent potty training became my occupation, praying that she would grasp the concept in no time through the many videos and Elmo potty training books I had purchased.
We celebrated the day she moved out of the cumbersome car seat and into a booster seat, so getting in and out of the car became easier. On her first day of kindergarten, I treated myself to a morning trip to the spa and thanked the Lord for helping me survive the toddler years. Finally, I could mark the end of the era that brought temper tantrums, the fear of a green fuzzy monster lurking under her bed, sippy cups and Dora the Explorer.
My daughter tackled reading as easily as she had potty training so my prayers were answered that I would no longer need to read to her before bed and she was able to entertain herself. I finally had more "me" time in the evenings.
Gradually she needed less assistance with her homework after school and she enjoyed spending more time with her girlfriends than she did with her father and me. Freedom to pursue my own interests had been something I had prayed for and it had arrived. Thank you, God.
"Mom," she announced as she bounded into the kitchen after her first day of middle school. "I just counted and there are only 20 days until I turn thirteen and you promised that I could wear makeup when I'm a teenager! Finally!"
Her smile for the first time caught me off guard as it had only been a day since she had her braces removed, a day we had anticipated for eight long months. Her beauty caused me pause as I saw a glimpse of the woman she was growing into. I wished, I prayed, for time to slow.
That night, I crawled into her bed after she turned off her bed-side light and wrapped my arms around her skinny body. I retold the story from when she was four years old. For many nights - nights that turned into months - she would make me hold her in her bed while she sang to the furry green monster beneath her bed so it would fall asleep before she did. We giggled as she snuggled closer, exchanging "I love you"s as she drifted off to sleep.
I remained in bed with her and didn't hurry toward the television or email. I closed my eyes and prayed. I thanked the Lord for the time He had given me at home with my daughter. The nights He didn't answer my prayers for time to move faster, for the days my daughter was home sick from school and we cuddled for hours on the couch. I thanked Him for my husband's long business trips when I had to handle all the homework and bedtime rituals. I thanked Him for monotonous days that lingered and asked Him to forgive me for my complaints. Before I kissed her forehead good night, finally, I thanked Him for the fuzzy green monster underneath her bed.
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I must warn you that when children become teenagers they still consume your time just in different ways :-) LOL