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JDaniel4s Mom

growing & learning with him

Pause Life for a Moment- Good Girl Gone Redneck!

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I was super fortunate to meet Andrea of Good Girl Gone Redneck at the Type A Conference last summer. She is amazing! Why? She is super friendly and warm. Andrea is the type of blogger that welcomes her blog readers to join her on her writing journey and shares openly who she is. When I met her at Type A, she was exactly that way in person. Those who read her blog and those who know her in real life are both truly blessed.

Hi, everyone! I’m Andrea – otherwise known as Good Girl Gone Redneck.

When JDaniel4’s Mom asked me if I would be interested in guest posting for her, I might have squealed a little bit! I am thrilled she invited me here to share her sacred space. And I’m so honored to be here for this week’s Pause Life for a Moment.

As a mother, there are so many moments I experience with my daughter. I honestly could never even begin to capture them all. I often write them up on my blog, but what I’ve recognized is that sometimes I focus too much on the intense moments. The stresses of motherhood. The days she drives me crazy.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my daughter more than anything. But she is strong-willed (could be called stubborn), intense (highly emotional), and FIVE (have I mentioned she is five?). Many of the moments we share together are memories I capture and eventually rehash over and over again. But they’re not always the ones I want to hold onto. Or even plan to. They’re the ones where I ask myself, what could I have done differently? How could I have made it better? Easier? Less stressful? Could I have?

Why is it so hard to remind ourselves to take a breath and hold onto the good times? The moments when her eyes crinkle at the sides and remind me of my dad. When I wake her up in the mornings and her hair is all crazy and wild, and she immediately leans over and hugs me. Stretching out across her bed she practically takes me in her arms, grabs on, and won’t let go. Eyes sleepy – but bright. Her face was clear of any stress or emotion, just pure bliss. Flawless.

And instead of being frustrated when she doesn’t want to go to bed, why don’t I snap a mental picture of the way she lines up all her stuffed animals, covers them and her babies with blankets, and even gives them toy bottles? There’s almost nothing cuter, seriously.

Instead of pulling up memories of her shrieking or crying when she’s frustrated, why don’t I allow myself to truly hold onto the lyrics of her voice when she makes up a song? Or sings along with me? Or somehow sounds like a teeny opera singer – her voice projecting in song? Shouldn’t that be what I hold closest to my heart?

I think that pausing life for a moment is something we all need to do more. And yes – we’ll surely remember the not-so-fun days. The stressful times. The number of times we’ve had to say our child’s name before they actually DO what we ask of them. But isn’t motherhood about learning? Living? Loving? So our children teach us, and we learn to listen. We live incredibly full lives with and because of them. And we love them with all of our hearts.

Let’s hold onto that good stuff. Squish it really tightly and push it to the front of our brains. Make our memories flood with happiness and joy. And when we need to pause life for that moment or two – or ten – go ahead and do it. Because we’ll have a library of great things to look through when we need them. And I’m guessing that in about 8-10 years I’m really going to need them!

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Comments

  2. Thanks, Lisa. 🙂 Right back atcha!

    And thanks to my lovely hostess, for allowing me to share her spam today. I am completely humbled and honored to have been asked. I hope I did justice with y post in spect to such a fantastic environment!

  5. That’s a great way to look at bed time! I’m trying to do that more now and it’s really been helpful. I’m definitely holding on to those little memories and moments too.

  6. I needed to read this one today. I’m finding 2.5 to be harder than it used to be. And I need to just remember to step back and think about what really matters.

    Thanks for the reminder!

  7. Wonderful reminder to breath and think of all the good. It’s so easy to complain and focus on the bad, something I try not to do, but fail at most times. Sigh.

  9. Great way to think about it! I also get irritated but it’s their way of doing things. Just last night Brad got mad at me because I wouldn’t lay down with him at bed time. It takes just a few minutes but I kept thinking he was stalling.

    Great reminder to treasure these times!

  10. This is fantastically beautiful! My daughter is also 5. A very difficult, exhausting 5. But I love the reminder to hold onto those quiet moments. The small ones. They are the most important.

    • I really loved this reminder too. My guy loves to snuggle at the end of the day and I am usually tired. This post reminds me that I need to enjoy the fact that he likes to snuggle.

  11. I’m here to tell ya that the bad stuff disappears from your mind when they get older. When they leave, your memory calls up only the good stuff, I swear!

  18. Hi JDaniel4’s Mom, I loved this post, it inspired me to write my own list of little things I need to take notice of. Have a look if you get a chance, also thanks for introducing me to Good Girl Gone Redneck, both of you have great blogs. I’m only starting out.
    http://www.Being-a-Mama.blogspot.com

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