mom heart

Today my soon to be 8 year old son ran a 400 meter race at his school’s Olympic Day, and I stood at the sidelines with my heart pounding fast as he steadily made his way from the middle of the pack to second place. I knew that he wouldn’t be thrilled with second place- because he’s still learning how to handle NOT being the best at everything he tries- but I for one couldn’t be more proud. The look on his face was pure determination. This kid is all heart, and he gave it nothing short of his all. Isn’t this what we want to teach our kids? To always do their best, and to try everything, and to never give up. That it’s not about the finish line, but about the way they run the race.

So after giving him a quick hug and sharing my pride with him, I was reminded of my favorite quote from my favorite author, Kelly Corrigan. In her memoir about motherhood Glitter and Glue, she talks about the way it feels like what happens to our kids happens to us, too. “And it occurs to me that maybe the reason my mother was so exhausted all the time wasn’t because she was doing so much but because she was feeling so much.”