So much more than sports and dirt.
November 20, 2020 | Motherhood
Last night Jackson begged me to be the one to put him to bed. I reminded him that mommy was not feeling her best, and daddy would take him upstairs and read to him instead. His response? Not the tears or whining I had anticipated. He simply said “but mommy, I will hold you the entire time”.
Oh. My. Goodness. Are you kidding me? Moments like this are when it really hits home.. how being a #boymama is about so much more than sports and dirt. How my 4 year old is growing by leaps and bounds every single day. How he is shifting from little boy to little leader, requesting to be the one to get Colton out of his crib or make him lunch. Wanting to assist in fixing things around the house, or show me how he can turn the hose on and water the plants by himself. We still have our tough days, of course, but this gentle soul that was entrusted to me is the sweetest, kindest little human I’ve ever known. I pray to God he never loses his sense of self, or the knowledge of what a superpower his gentleness is.
So when I think about how excited I was to be a boy mom, I’ll admit, these are the things I thought about:
playing sports and getting dirty
obsessions with fire trucks and excavators
lessons in: ‘Saturday’s are for the Buckeyes, and Sunday’s are for the Eagles’
baseball all.summer.long.
riding bikes and driving jetskis
bloody noses and broken bones
And, for the most part, it IS about a lot of those things. But I believe the most crucial aspects of being a boy mom will always fall outside the realm of “boys will be boys”. It is about teaching (and showing) my two boys that:
there is no such thing as “toughening up”; your emotions are real and you are allowed to feel them fully
a love of literature can be just as powerful a tool as throwing a spiral
honoring your love of God, above all else, will give you all the strength you need
giving will always be more meaningful than receiving
sports can teach you so many important life lessons, but so can singing and dancing and science and nature; choose what you love, and never be ashamed of it
the most powerful man in the world is one who is kind and compassionate
hard work and respect (of others, of women, of self) must go hand in hand if you want to truly succeed
We are raising tomorrow’s men. The future. Colton emulates Jackson, and Jackson emulates us. Daily. As parents, we are the examples our children will grow to become. It is difficult and exhausting and we slip up more often than I care to admit. Yet I know in my heart the changes Paul and I continue to make within ourselves, and our home, will help this generation of boys be the ones who will change our world for the better… just by being themselves.
Our boys will choose to lead by the example of how goodness and kindness win. Wherever their future may take them, they will grow up knowing what it is liked to feel love, embrace emotion, and exude pure, unapologetic joy…and that Harry Potter will teach them more about life than Bryce Harper ever will.
