From the moment you turned three, our days have been filled with your endless “Why?” and “How?” questions. Even when you don’t voice them, I can sense those curiosities lingering as you navigate this complex world. When you notice that my smile fades, when I ask for a moment of peace, or when I repeat myself for the hundredth time, I know you yearn for clarity.
But here’s the reality: some truths will only resonate with you once you step into the role of a parent. I can offer simplified explanations, but full comprehension remains just out of reach until you arrive at that pivotal point in life. Someday, when you have your own children, you will see things through my eyes.
Someday, you’ll truly grasp why the day you entered my life was the most extraordinary day I’ve ever experienced.
Someday, you’ll understand how sleep deprivation can make you feel like you’re teetering on the edge of sanity.
Someday, you’ll realize why tears streamed down my face the moment you took your first steps.
Someday, you’ll comprehend the whirlwind of emotions that comes when I hug you tight, then scold you, only to pull you back in for another embrace when you wander off at the zoo.
Someday, you’ll appreciate why I constantly glance over your shoulder while you’re on your devices, and why I insist you ask before diving into YouTube.
Someday, you’ll know why I avoid the news.
Someday, you’ll understand why I firmly insist you stop when someone requests it, even if they’re laughing.
Someday, you’ll see why I absolutely cannot endure another round of Candy Land. I mean it.
Someday, you’ll grasp why I relish the occasional trip to Target alone.
Someday, you’ll understand why I’m not my usual affectionate self when you wake me in the wee hours, and why I tend to doze off during every children’s movie.
Someday, you’ll get how much your bickering with your siblings weighs on my heart.
Someday, you’ll recognize why I assign you chores.
Someday, you’ll understand why I stopped cooking meals.
Someday, you’ll realize why your father and I wrestled with the decision to let you quit music lessons, and why we felt an overwhelming sense of joy when you chose to pick them up again.
Someday, you’ll understand why we sometimes lock our bedroom door and take our time answering when you knock.
Someday, you’ll know why we turned down that super short skirt.
Someday, you’ll feel the weight of responsibility that comes with caring for another human being, while often feeling lost yourself.
Someday, you’ll know the kind of love that overwhelms and terrifies you all at once.
Someday, you’ll experience the exhausting tug-of-war between holding on and letting go.
Someday, you’ll understand how a heart can feel so full it seems ready to burst.
Someday, you’ll go from wishing time would speed up to begging it to slow down—all within the span of an hour.
Someday, you’ll recognize the emotional chaos of striving to be a complete person while raising other complete people.
Someday, you’ll feel the love, worry, frustration, pride, confusion, awe, and wonder that accompany parenthood.
Someday, you’ll understand it all. But that day isn’t today.
So keep the questions coming, and I’ll answer them as best I can. Just know that many of them won’t make sense until you’ve walked a few miles in the well-worn but cherished shoes of parenthood. For further insights on parenting, check out this post about navigating the challenges of raising children. And if you’re interested in learning more about home insemination, consider visiting this reliable source for pregnancy and home insemination options or explore at-home insemination kits that can help you start your family.
Summary
This heartfelt letter to a child reflects on the complexities of parenthood and the inevitable understanding that comes with time. Sharing a series of realizations and experiences, it emphasizes that many aspects of parenting can only be appreciated from the perspective of a parent. The piece encourages ongoing curiosity and questioning while acknowledging that full comprehension will come later in life.
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