Personal Narrative: A Moment That Changed My Life

Reflecting,

It seems unbelievable my oldest is a few days off being a decade old. I know every parent wonders “where has the time gone?” a multitude of times during their children’s childhoods, but as I realize my son is over halfway to 'adulthood' it seems like the time has flown by.

The moment I found out I was pregnant with William at 18 - I knew my life would never be the same- it was one of those life defining moments.
I knew it then - I had to grow up, be responsible. It was never going to just be me again.
I was still growing myself, and now had another life growing inside me, like a little alien that I had to consider too.

I recall the moment I sat in a chair on that spring afternoon, the impact of what was happening hit me,

but I could not have fully understood the extent of any of it. I could not begin to even imagine what becoming a mother meant, I could not have known the extraordinary love I would experience. The bonding, the feeling that there is something more important than me, and the pure, innocent love, that you can only have for your children, William brought that to my life.

William was an amazing, calm, quiet, reflective, serious, happy baby (with colic and reflux waa).

When he was born, I could not have imagined loving him more than I did that day- my pure, sweet, tiny, innocent

baby.
As I think about the last ten years, it’s overwhelming- my heart holds more love, compassion, understanding, joy, and happiness, having been his mother. He makes me laugh every single day we are together. He is so compassionate, smart, sweet, good-natured, and funny,
It has been an absolute pleasure to see him grow from a baby, to a toddler, to a little boy, to a boy, now to a young-man.

I’m sure the next ten years will fly by too, if not faster.

I see him becoming every day, more of who he is supposed to be, with his own thoughts, opinions, hopes, and dreams.

That is all I could ever hoped for him. I want him to be happy. I want him to treat others with respect, and kindness. I want him to know and live the differences between right and wrong. I want him to understand different perspectives, realize how you treat people matters, and to have empathy. But most of all, I want him to be true to himself.

My work in raising my eldest son is far from over and I’m so excited to see him bloom and become the man he is destined to become, in the next ten years. For now, I’m going to hold and hug my ten-year old son close (for the 3seconds he allows) and cherish the days of him as boy we have left.

It is the strangest feeling when you wake up and realize, your baby isn’t a baby, your toddler isn’t a toddler, your boy isn’t a boy/ They are who they are supposed to be and they are closer to being an adult than a baby, or even a child.
A child is life’s finest gift, at times the most challenging, the most important one, and the one that teaches you, your most significant lessons.

Being a Mum has taught me more than I could have imagined, and I know, all of my children are the greatest thing I will have ever done with my

life.