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Parenthood Comes in Seasons
Parenthood comes in seasons. And I’ve learned that you don’t truly appreciate each one until it’s in the rearview mirror. This hit me especially hard after we had our youngest feral one. When my oldest three were little, people would say, “Enjoy it. You’ll miss them being little. You’ll miss the chaos. You’ll miss them needing you. Enjoy it now.” And they were right. I believed them—of course I did—but that doesn’t make it easier to actually enjoy the moment when you’re knee-deep in it. Even now, I have to remind myself that someday, I’ll miss this, too. The running in multiple directions at the same time. The messy house.…
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Community
Recently, my sisters and I threw a surprise birthday party for our parents. While reflecting on that day, what really struck me was the powerful sense of community. The room was filled with people my parents would want there the most—their family, siblings, close friends, and even their neighbor, who also happens to be my dad’s best friend since high school. There are people in your life who have just always been there, and for our family, that’s their neighbor. He’s an amazing man who has loved me like one of his own. He’s walked with my parents through it all—losses, surgeries, weddings, births, and every high and low in…
