Hello! I am so happy to be here today while Erin is enjoying time with her new baby girl. It seems just like yesterday that my boys were babies and now they are 7 and 9 years old. (You can see a glimpse of my life as a mother and designer over at my lifestyle blog, SALLYJSHIM.)…
When I was pregnant with my first son I remember other mothers giving me advice about getting rest while the baby is sleeping (which honestly I rarely ever did because a) I wanted to watch my baby sleep, b) I wanted to enjoy a quiet house to myself, c) I wanted to shower/eat/anything else but sleep) or advice about what sleep training or parenting books I needed to read. But the words of wisdom that have stuck with me through the past nine years of parenting came from one of my colleagues in graduate school who happened to be a mother of two grown children and a grandmother of one. She told me, “Sally, you are going to go through many ups and downs as a parent but just remember that you will never have that moment in time again. So if it is a happy moment, sit back and relish it and if it is not-so-happy moment, take a deep breath and know that it will pass.” I cannot say that I have always followed her advice but her words are always at the back of my head. There are times I have had to take a deep breath and laugh at the “moment”, like when one of my sons was gagging which made my other son throw up (my choices were to laugh or cry) and other times when my heart was so full because my boys were being so sweet to each other. My friend’s words are so true, parenting is filled with highs and lows and I have learned (and continue to learn) how to embrace and appreciate those happy and not-so-happy “moments” with my boys.
iMAGE: BONNIE TSANG