Just Like Me

I try to be patient and loving mother but on somedays I am not.  Somedays I really can't understand why, after carrying one of my children down the stairs, he insists on going back to the top of the stairs and walking down all by  himself.  Sometimes I really don't have much empathy when someone cries because they don't like what we're having for dinner or when they get hurt doing something that I just warned them not to do. Last night was one of those nights.  There was a lot of whining.  A lot of slow moving children.  There was complaining at dinner and complaints that our family was the only one they knew who wasn't doing something fun that evening.  And by the time everyone was asleep I was wondering what in the world would ever make them act like that. 

Then, today I was looking through my pictures and it hit me.  THEY'RE JUST LIKE ME. 

Sometimes they feel like they just can't take it anymore. 

I know that feeling. (In fact I often would like to make that exact face....but I try to hold  back)

Sometimes life just leaves them feeling totally exhausted.

Been there.

Sometime's they are worried.

or just really not in the mood.

Yeah, I have those days.

Sometimes they are so excited about something that they lose all logical thinking and just run out of the house in their socks to play in the snow.

I've gotten carried away like that too.

Sometimes they feel so happy they can hardly contain themselves.

And other times they just really need someone to hold them.

Me too.

And sometimes they're silly and just want to have fun.

And often they just want to feel super and have other people comment on how high they can fly and how fantastic they really are.

Yeah, I need that too sometimes.

They are just like me.  Except they are little and they have had much less time to learn what they should do with all those emotions.  (In fact, come to think of it I haven't quite mastered myself either...at all)  But they are learning, and so am I. And since I know how they feel I can love them a little more and help them become the people they want to be with a more patient attitude. That's what I would want someone to do for me.