For Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop today, I chose the prompt:
4.) 10 Lessons your child could teach you.
Since my “child” is a grown man now, I’m tweaking on this subject a little and writing about 10 lessons that my child son has taught me.
1. From the moment he was born, Marshall taught me that a mother’s love is different from any other love you’ll ever experience. There’s a saying that once you become a mother, you walk around for the rest of your life with your heart outside your body.
2. This tiny baby taught me about a daddy’s pride, and the adoration of grandmothers.
3. Even before his first birthday, seeing him with our neighbor’s daughter, my son taught me that friendships can begin very early in life.
4. As a toddler, Marshall taught me the wonder in a little boy’s eyes. From learning about our kitty, Bandit, to lightning bugs, to airplanes, to his first snowfall, they were all new experiences. And I saw all of them in a whole new way.
5. When Marshall had surgery at the age of four, I learned how brave a little fella can be. And, during that time, I also learned a new kind of fear: the fear of a parent whose child is undergoing surgery. And then, relief and thankfulness when the surgery was a success.
6. During Marshall’s school years, I learned about helping a child with homework. And, finally, had an appreciation for all that my mother went through during my school years.
7. During Marshall’s teen-age years, a.k.a. the heavy metal music phase, he taught me patience as I waited for his taste in music to change. And it did.
8. Several years ago, Marshall and I both worked as interpreters at Bacon’s Castle. During that time, he taught me pride as I watched him interact with strangers and share his knowledge and love of the house with them.
9. When Marshall decided to have his hair cut after many years of wearing it long, he taught me that anything’s possible.
10. In recent years, Marshall’s taught me about movies (the last time I went to a theater was in 2002), he’s taught me about music that I never listened to, he’s tried to teach me about astronomy, architecture and how to back up photos on my computer.
Bonus lesson: Marshall taught me what every child teaches a parent: time passes much too quickly.
these days of mine 