A young mother that I admire has an amazing little boy who makes me smile just by looking at him. This piece below was written by a girl’s mama but my young friend who is the mother of the little boy said “I couldn’t have written this better.” I too raised a strong-willed child and could relate to almost every word shared below from Simple Little Change by Tiffany Yoder
There isn’t one passive bone in her body.
In fact, I spend most of my day negotiating why she needs to do any given task
and she spends most of her day arguing or ignoring it.
I ask her not to do something and she has already figured out ten different ways that she can.
Each day is filled with big emotions.
When she is angry, you know it.
When she is happy, you know it.
She has absolutely no filter and says exactly what is on her mind.
Which has led to me having to bite my cheeks to suppress my laughter on more than one occasion.
Everything is on her terms, on her time, her agenda.
She does not care that she has an appointment in 10 minutes. She will let you know when and if she is available.
Most nights after I put her to bed, I plop down on the couch utterly and completely down to the bone exhausted. Sometimes I wonder why she can’t be more agreeable. Why things can’t be easier.
I keep clinging to the words of fellow mothers of strong-willed children who look back on it all and whisper “I know this is hard now, but it is worth it.”
Deep down even on my most exhausted days I know I wouldn’t change her.
I won’t ask her to be anything other than what she is because I would miss out on all of her.
I would miss out on her big love, her loud joy, her mischievous grin.
I would miss out on her quick wit and her larger-than-life attitude.
I know that the world needs her fight, her vivacious spirit.
And one day when she is grown, I will catch sight of a mom struggling to keep her patience with her strong-willed child who will likely have their arms crossed, determination on their face, and a hint of mischief in their eye.
I will place an encouraging hand on that mom’s shoulder and whisper
I know this is hard now, but it is worth it.
BECAUSE HE LIVES 