Join Me in Snarkville

There’s this little thing running through blogland about celebrating love.  Now, when I first looked at the photos and read some of the stories, I thought — Can we control the sap, please?  But I think that was just my tiny little heart screaming for attention.  I’m late to the game, but I’m finally throwing my hat into the ring of Love Thursday.  To find out what it is all about go here.

When we bring a child into this world, we take on the roles of caregivers, teachers, and role-models.  In the beginning, we are forced to slow down our busy lives because this little lump of flesh needs our undivided attention for all of their needs.  We wipe butts, we feed, we wonder if there is not a better way of putting the food directly into the diaper — but we learn the “middle man” is important.  We comfort when needed and smell and kiss and hold.  As their head stops wobbling and they begin to sit up, we take on the role of teacher.  We give them things to look at, things to touch, things to explore.  And we give them words for all of those things.  We begin to narrate our own lives to help the little grow.  And yet, we are not at the speed of our former, babyless, life.  Everything is still slower and you learn to live in the moments.

The babies become toddlers and wander around to explore their world on two feet.  Now, we take on the role of protector.  We move breakables up or away; we cover corners of tables; we lock cabinets from curious fingers.  We still play, we still comfort, we still provide — but we take on new roles too.

As toddlers become steady on their feet and talk by themselves, they turn into children.  We now fully embrace that teaching role.  We have to share explainations of how things work, take them on adventures (even when the adventure may only be in the produce aisles), we teach them to begin to care for themselves.  We begin to allow them to take on roles of their own, give them “jobs” to do to encourage responsibility and excitement in their life.  We also now have the chance to slay monsters, drive the “bed/bus”, and run excitedly to the door when the garbage truck comes to watch.  We get to see everything from the eyes of someone just 3 feet tall.  Finally, we get to be a kid again too.  We play games and we mold the world to teach, excite, and encourage our children.

Just about 4 years ago, I never thought any of this was really part of parenting.  I think back to my childless self and wonder what planet was I living on.  I know that it is not possible to grasp all the things you become and do when you are a parent, when looking at two lines on a pregnancy test.  I think the enoromity of it all would be too great, too overwhleming, too hard to grasp.  Instead, I believe that we get those months in the beginning dealing with nothing more than the basics to sustain life just to help ground us for the years ahead.

So, without further ado.  Here’s my photo for Love Thursday:

Prince and Duke Exploring together.  Love is opening the world up to a child in manageable chunks, so both of you can handle it.

Happy Love Thursday.