The Tribune

By BIANCA CARTER

It’s easy to sometimes take things for granted. Life moves super fast and we’re all pretty busy, especially if you happen to be a mom.

You’ve heard the saying, “take time to smell the roses”, and in a perfect world you would practice that daily.

But the world is not perfect and neither are our lives. Being a mother is not a perfect science either; there are many ways to do the same thing and we all make mistakes along the way.

I’ve learned in life that what you do in when things don’t go as planned is more important than what you do when things are going right.

Nothing will test you more than the normal ups and downs of life, and parenting.

Being a mom isn’t an easy job, but it’s the best job on Earth, here’s why:

You can live through the eyes of your child

This point is not to be confused with “living vicariously” through your child. Ever watch a toddler chase ducklings around or see a rooster for the first time? It’s amazing! Not because you’ve never seen those things before, but because you’re witnessing a tiny human being experience it for the first time. The way their eyes light up with excitement at the things we barely even notice anymore is a delight.

Taught and be taught

Not many jobs in the world allow you to teach and be taught with the same level of greatness as being a mom does. For most of us, it’s a double-sided relationship. From the moment your child is born,they begin teaching you; along with you trying to teach them. I’ve always believed that parenting is a dance interwoven between two connected souls with two different personalities and perspectives. I don’t believe that children are a clean slate and you add everything to them, cultivating their thinking and attitude. I think children are born with a little something of their own, and their experiences in life along with their relationships mould who they become.

Perspective on life

Adults are very self-centered; kids are, too, but in a very different way. Adults see limitations and are concerned by things that are material; they worry about their responsibilities and they often forget to live their life in a way that’s good for their soul. Kids don’t worry about what they can’t see; they create and imagine their world the way they want to. They find joy and happiness in the simple things we take for granted, like the wind. Children see adventure and nature in the wild; we run for cover, afraid to mess up our hair.

Love in its greatest form

It’s hard to truly grasp what unconditional love really means. Adults hold grudges and make rules in love. In the normal sense, most love does have a set of conditions. But children love unconditionally, and they teach us to do the same every day. The word love should be as free and open a meaning as we want it to be, but because we as human beings have to define everything, the real meaning and magnitude of the expression of “love” is undermined. Being a mom puts love into perfect perspective.

Preparing the next generation for greatness

It’s nice to imagine that life is one continuous journey; passing the baton from one generation to the next. If you think back 30 years ago, I bet you would have never believed that the internet, smart phones and social media would impact our lives as greatly as they’ve done.

I honestly can’t imagine a world without the internet and all its capabilities, I had no clue that technology and the way it exists now was even possible.

Obviously, someone thought it up, saw the possibilities and opportunities in a world technologically advanced. They called those guys “dreamers”. And being called a dreamer was not a good thing back in the day. Sometimes it’s still used to describe a person that never seems to have their feet firmly planted in anything. But no, we look at dreamers as the way to the future. Our children are the future dreamers of humanity, and for the most part we’ve changed our thinking to embrace, support and inspire our young dreamers. I can’t think of a greater gift than being a part of that!.

Love and hugs!

• Bianca Carter is a certified lactation counsellor (CLC), founder of Bun in the Oven, and weekend radio personality on Y98 radio. For more information, email her at info@babybunintheoven.com, or bcarter@tribunemedia.net. Follow BITO on Facebook at babybunintheoven, and check out the BITO Blog every Monday and Thursday at http://babybunintheoven.com.