Time to Be

Children make you think about what really matters in your life and where you want to head.

Without a child, it is easier to just go with the flow and take whatever comes.

But with a child, suddenly time is a precious commodity. And you realise life will come to an end. And you start thinking about what you should be spending your life on. Children also make you think about who you want to be. What kind of person do you want your child to emulate?

Yet, at the same time, a child becomes a factor you must consider when you decide where to head. You can no longer make decisions without considering a family and how your decision would impact your family. So while a child spurs you to think, a child seems to limit your choices too, that is, on the surface.

When I think deeper, I realise that in fact, my children have helped me expand my choices. Suddenly I have new choices, including working from home, starting a business, working part time, writing a book, being a housewife. Options I would have never thought of.

The irony of it all. Children limit and expand your choices at the same time. Even if you choose to cover your eyes and ignore the importance of making a decision, you still have to reach a point when you decide what you want to be. I chose this picture of Treasure covering her eyes, because it reminded me that we just can’t hide from everything.  

The irony is also that what you choose to be will likely be what your child will be like too. And that is why God asks us to model Him. Because, whatever we choose to do, we need to choose to be like him.

Sometimes, I think about what I want my daughters to be like – brave, determined, having a strong sense of purpose, kind and driven. And then I realise these are the very qualities I often think I lack. And then I realise I have to stop thinking about what I want my child to be, because that is what I want MYSELF to be and the last time I checked, I was still breathing. That means I still have time to be that very person.When I think about all this, I suddenly know that I have as much growing up as my kids have to do.