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 queries floating around as you try to unravel the mysteries of this world. When my face doesn’t sport a smile, when I ask for a moment of peace, or when I repeat myself for the umpteenth time, I know you’re searching for answers.
But here’s the reality: some things will remain a mystery until you become a parent yourself. I can simplify some concepts, but I can’t convey the whole picture. Until you walk that path, you won’t see things from this side of the fence. One day, when you have your own little ones, it’ll all click.
One day, you’ll understand why the moment you were born was the happiest day of my life.
One day, you’ll grasp how sleep deprivation feels like you’re teetering on the edge of madness.
One day, you’ll see why I shed tears the day you took your first steps.
One day, you’ll realize why I hugged you, then snapped at you, and hugged you again when you wandered off at the zoo.
One day, you’ll understand why I’m always peering over your shoulder when you’re on your tablet, and why I ask you to check with me before searching for something on YouTube.
One day, you’ll get why I avoid the news like it’s the plague.
One day, you’ll comprehend why I insist you stop when someone asks, even if they’re laughing.
One day, you’ll see why I can’t handle another round of Candy Land. Seriously, I can’t.
One day, you’ll understand why I need my solo trips to Target.
One day, you’ll know why I’m not my cheerful self when you wake me in the middle of the night, and why I snooze through every kids’ movie.
One day, you’ll grasp why I get a bit snappy when you can’t stop making random sounds in the car.
One day, you’ll see how much your bickering with your siblings tugs at my heartstrings and frays my nerves.
One day, you’ll understand why I assign you chores.
One day, you’ll realize why I threw in the towel on cooking.
One day, you’ll see the debate your dad and I had over letting you quit music lessons, the uncertainty of our decision, and the joy we felt when you took the initiative to start again.
One day, you’ll understand why your dad and I lock our bedroom door sometimes and take our sweet time answering your knocks.
One day, you’ll get why we said “no” to that ridiculously short skirt.
One day, you’ll feel the weight of being responsible for another human and how lost you can feel.
One day, you’ll understand the thrill of being head over heels in love and how that can be terrifying.
One day, you’ll see the exhausting tightrope act between holding on and letting go.
One day, you’ll understand how a heart can feel so full it seems like it might burst.
One day, you’ll experience the whirlwind of wishing time would fly and then desperately wanting it to slow down—all in the span of an hour.
One day, you’ll understand the beautiful chaos of striving to be a complete person while raising others to be whole.
One day, you’ll come to know the love, worry, frustration, pride, confusion, awe, and wonder that accompany parenthood.
But not today.
So keep those questions coming. I’ll do my best to answer, but trust me when I say much of it will be beyond your grasp until you’ve taken a few steps in the well-worn but cherished shoes of parenthood. And if you’re curious about more parenting insights, check out this privacy policy for additional resources. For tips on enhancing your journey into motherhood, visit Make a Mom. Also, don’t miss IVF Babble for great information on pregnancy and home insemination.
In summary, parenting is a rollercoaster of love and lessons that can only be fully understood through experience. So, as you continue to ask your questions, remember that one day, you’ll have the answers.