I don't know how you do it. I'm a single woman in her mid-30s and society thinks I should therefore either live in perpetual jealousy or believe you've all wasted your lives by getting married too you and having bratty kids. I don't do either. I mostly just sit in awe of you.
Five minutes ago, I put corn on the cob in pot on the stove (UK: hob). Sat down, and just now couldn't figure out what was making that boiling noise. Then it hit me... shit... Thankfully, the corn wasn't burnt. It's actually not even done yet. Which gives me maybe another 2 minutes to sit here and tell you how amazing you are.
As I ran to the stove that in that moment I was very thankful no child could possibly be around, I thought about Krissy, one of my oldest friends who freaking makes butterfly costumes for her children's classes. She has triplets and she has time and energy and mental focus enough to make some 20 sets of wings before she goes into read to a kindergarten class. Oh, and co-run an awesome non-profit to raise awareness about Juvenile Diabetes, and run her own business.
And I almost burnt corn on the cob without any help from kids crying in another room.
Then there's Jenny and Candi, who actually sew whole outfits for their children. By hand. I mean, I assume they also have sewing machines, but they design and create and do all these crazy things in addition to actually spending time with their children.
Truth be told, I'm not even sure how you know if corn on the cob is done or not. Normally, I would just time it but my landlord is installing a new bathroom downstairs and they must have turned off the electricity today. The clock on my stove is just blinking and I can't even figure out how to set the timer. And if I was setting a timer, I'd just be making up numbers anyways.
It's not just because they sew and create butterfly wings that I'm in awe of them. They're all raising really cool kids and they're not alone. My friends Mandy, Heather, Julie and Kim are each ensuring their kids understand how loved and blessed they are. They're raising funny, sweet, irreverent and yet faithful and kind children.
This morning, I lost my keys. Twice. And I thought I lost my buspass. Twice. It literally takes me as long to get out of the house in the morning as it should take a parent with two kids.
[Seriously, though, does corn on the cob just change color? Is it just done when it's a pretty golden color or is there another secret I'm missing?]
I also know that my friends Elizabeth, Vance, Rob, Pam, and Dan remain active presences in their babies' lives despite the fact they have busy (probably crazy) careers as lawyers. They are somehow able to manage their case loads, their relationships, their children, and be active members in their communities.
And my brother and sister-in-law! OMG, they are raising the cutest kid in the world. Not that I'm biased or anything. They read to him, and play with him, take him to football games, go to the lake, teach him how to swim, and are just raising one of the cutest, sweetest kids you could imagine. And they do all of this while my brother runs for city council and they both work full-time.
Today, I sat at my computer looking at the same three sentences for 15 minutes before I said "f--- it. I'll deal with it at home." That paper is sitting next to me now, waiting for me to love it and sped time with it like it's a child. But here's the thing - it's not actually a child, so if I forgot about it, I don't have to worry about it running up and touching the hot stove or finding its way into the cupboard in our bathroom that houses all the cleaning supplies. I don't have to worry that it'll break my computer when I turn away for two seconds or wander out into the street by itself. It's safe and sound even if I don't touch it for the rest of the night.
So that is why I am in awe of you, dear parents. I only hope that when / if I'm blessed with children of my own, I'll be half the parent you are. Whether that's a parent that makes butterfly wings and costumes or helps their kid read or takes their kid to a football game every week. You are engaged with who your babies are becoming, and that's pretty amazing.
I, on the other hand, am just glad my corn on the cob came out okay.
Five minutes ago, I put corn on the cob in pot on the stove (UK: hob). Sat down, and just now couldn't figure out what was making that boiling noise. Then it hit me... shit... Thankfully, the corn wasn't burnt. It's actually not even done yet. Which gives me maybe another 2 minutes to sit here and tell you how amazing you are.
As I ran to the stove that in that moment I was very thankful no child could possibly be around, I thought about Krissy, one of my oldest friends who freaking makes butterfly costumes for her children's classes. She has triplets and she has time and energy and mental focus enough to make some 20 sets of wings before she goes into read to a kindergarten class. Oh, and co-run an awesome non-profit to raise awareness about Juvenile Diabetes, and run her own business.
And I almost burnt corn on the cob without any help from kids crying in another room.
Then there's Jenny and Candi, who actually sew whole outfits for their children. By hand. I mean, I assume they also have sewing machines, but they design and create and do all these crazy things in addition to actually spending time with their children.
Truth be told, I'm not even sure how you know if corn on the cob is done or not. Normally, I would just time it but my landlord is installing a new bathroom downstairs and they must have turned off the electricity today. The clock on my stove is just blinking and I can't even figure out how to set the timer. And if I was setting a timer, I'd just be making up numbers anyways.
It's not just because they sew and create butterfly wings that I'm in awe of them. They're all raising really cool kids and they're not alone. My friends Mandy, Heather, Julie and Kim are each ensuring their kids understand how loved and blessed they are. They're raising funny, sweet, irreverent and yet faithful and kind children.
This morning, I lost my keys. Twice. And I thought I lost my buspass. Twice. It literally takes me as long to get out of the house in the morning as it should take a parent with two kids.
[Seriously, though, does corn on the cob just change color? Is it just done when it's a pretty golden color or is there another secret I'm missing?]
I also know that my friends Elizabeth, Vance, Rob, Pam, and Dan remain active presences in their babies' lives despite the fact they have busy (probably crazy) careers as lawyers. They are somehow able to manage their case loads, their relationships, their children, and be active members in their communities.
And my brother and sister-in-law! OMG, they are raising the cutest kid in the world. Not that I'm biased or anything. They read to him, and play with him, take him to football games, go to the lake, teach him how to swim, and are just raising one of the cutest, sweetest kids you could imagine. And they do all of this while my brother runs for city council and they both work full-time.
Today, I sat at my computer looking at the same three sentences for 15 minutes before I said "f--- it. I'll deal with it at home." That paper is sitting next to me now, waiting for me to love it and sped time with it like it's a child. But here's the thing - it's not actually a child, so if I forgot about it, I don't have to worry about it running up and touching the hot stove or finding its way into the cupboard in our bathroom that houses all the cleaning supplies. I don't have to worry that it'll break my computer when I turn away for two seconds or wander out into the street by itself. It's safe and sound even if I don't touch it for the rest of the night.
So that is why I am in awe of you, dear parents. I only hope that when / if I'm blessed with children of my own, I'll be half the parent you are. Whether that's a parent that makes butterfly wings and costumes or helps their kid read or takes their kid to a football game every week. You are engaged with who your babies are becoming, and that's pretty amazing.
I, on the other hand, am just glad my corn on the cob came out okay.
No comments:
Post a Comment