Being A Parent: The Lessons Learned
Becoming a mom to my amazing, fearless, energetic, handsome, and strong-willed, 2 ½ years old boy; has been the best experience in my life.
When I found out I was pregnant, it was a surprise. I was not planning to become pregnant, it honestly happened without me being aware of it. The changes occurred not only in my body (e.g. a growing belly), but emotionally and mentally as I transformed into a mother.
My life has always been busy especially as a young child navigating and balancing extracurricular activities whether it was in the community (e.g. church activities , Big Brother & Big Sisters, or Urban League) or with sports (e.g. soccer, bowling, etc.) while maintaining good grades in school. Even throughout adulthood, as a college student I worked a part-time job, engaged and participated in community activities while maintaining decent grades in both undergraduate and graduate school.
Once my son arrived in this world, my life literally changed for the best. There were of course challenges along the way; with learning and being consistent with breastfeeding, changes within sleep, and balancing the role and responsibilities of being an employee, mother, and wife. In the midst of it all, I was able to have a great support system, which provided me with the encouragement and support to weather the success and challenges of being a first-time parent.
Disclosure: I understand that a positive support system is a rare gem that is not provided to so many parents, so I am truly blessed to have a great support system.
Nevertheless, I would not change being a mother for anything, because it has taught me the art of patience, unconditional love, and forgiveness. I never knew that this small human being that I am raising would teach me so much about myself. He pushes me and his father every day to be creative, understanding, and it has revamped our overall emotional, mental, and physical well-being. To have someone look up to you as a role model can be scary but inspiration at the same time.
Parenthood has taught me that life has so much to offer if I can just stop, pause, and reflect on the daily changes; whether it is listening to birds chirping in the morning on a nice beautiful sunny day in the spring or feeling the cool breeze of wind on a fall night while looking at the bright white moon in the sky accompanied by million stars.
Overall, being a parent can be both challenging and rewarding, this journey is a life lesson in which I am continuing to learn and grow every single day.
