Motherhood Mentoring

When I was a young Mom, overwhelmed at times by the responsibility of raising my first little person God gave me ... I was given two gifts that impacted me for the rest of my life.  These two gifts were in the persons of two older women (probably the age I am now!).  They opened their hearts to me by loving on my Addison.

Anna Ruth was kind, patient and energetic ... qualities that I - as a first-time-Mom - were lacking.  She would scoop Addison up and love on her as if she had earned a Master's degree in nurturing and child rearing.  She helped me see Addison with new eyes.  She filled a gap that I was in great need of  ... and without knowing she wove magic around me that left me ... after all these years ... grateful for her presence in my life.

Promptly after we left our Oklahoma roots for the first time and made our way into the great wilderness called Tucson, Arizona ... our second gift emerged out of many months of prayer. Lydia entered the picture.  Lydia, full of fire and spunk, had grandchildren that all lived on the East coast.  Seeing our need for a surrogate family she "adopted" us as her own.  She filled a gap that I was in great need of ... and without knowing she wove magic around me that left me ... after all these years ... grateful for her presence in my life.

Now ... 20 years later ... despite still feeling like that young Mom, I am the "older woman" in a young woman's life.  Now I get to exhibit kindness, patience and energy ... not because I am so pious ... but because 20 years under the bridge gives you new perspective.  Baking cookies with a two-year-old, wiping a snotty nose and watching a temper tantrum are now seen through new lenses.  I have the advantage of experience to know this is just a season - a very fast-paced season - that will fade before my Young friend will even recognize it's gone.  Young Mom's are superhero's that need an occasional break from saving their corner of the world.  The beauty of mentoring gives the experienced a chance to redo what they wish they would have done ... and gives a Superhero the occasional nap!

chasing a two-year-old and loving every minute of it,
christina