I'm Only Human

Today, lil' b and I went to the library to pick up some books for her, while dad stayed behind with our sick little Bug. On the drive into downtown, it started to snow, which made the event even more fun. We picked out our books at the library, and it was still snowing as we skipped down the street back to our car. While loading lil' b into the car, a grizzly elderly man, with thick dark rimmed glasses and an air of "I don't really like kids", walking towards us, stopped and commented, "These are the best years, don't miss out on them because soon they'll realize that you're only human." I was so shocked by his comment, not because I haven't heard it before, but because I never would have expected that old man to say something to me, and especially a something endearing to children. It really touched me to see this old man's emotions well up just by seeing my lil' b. Kids are amazing.

As we drove away, I couldn't stop thinking about what he had said, because it's so true. I am only a human and man, I am going to make some awful mistakes, I just know it. I'm human, so I have to. And it scares me to death. And the process of her realizing this has already begun. I've already had situations where lil' b caught me acting in a way I teach her not to act. Saying something to her in a rude tone, and she tells me I'm being rude, and I have to apologize. So humbling.

A lady at church said a really similar comment, just last Sunday. After watching me hold Bug, she came up and said, "Aren't they so wonderful?" referring to children, and I said, "Yes, they are." Then she told me how her boy was 25, getting married, and such a great man. She said it amazes her because she was a single mom and knows there were plenty of mistakes down the road. I told her that it scares me to think about what will be my parenting mistakes. My parents were good parents, but there were mistakes and shortcomings. There has to be, and sometimes it's painful to realize that. The lady and I got distracted, and she walked away, but came back 5 minutes later. She told me that the cracks in our parenting are there on purpose, because that's where God comes in. That's where He takes over and molds them and teaches them to persevere through trials. I thought this was very interesting and encouraging. All of it made me want to live more in the moment with my kids, savor this special time, and realize I'm only human.