What I've learned from my children.. So far.

I always knew I wanted to be a mom. I grew up surrounded by a large family. Cousins, aunts and uncles, younger siblings. I knew a family was in my future.

Oldie but goodie, a favorite of my cousins and I

What I didn't know was that children change your life. My two littles have changed me more then I ever would've imagined. Beyond the regular "I'm a mom now, things are different". They've shaped me into a different person and I am forever grateful. 

I find joy where I used to find anxiety. A silly (but big example) I rarely went to the beach. I loathed it, the sand, the half naked people, the fact that I didn't like my body. The beach would be the very last place I would ever want to go. 

I went twice this week. The joy that it brings my boys makes me forget about what I didn't like about it. The peace it now brings me blows me away. The beauty in how wonderful God is and how amazing he is comes to mind whenever I'm sitting in the sand watching my boys play in the water. It's amazing. 

The way I treat strangers has changed. I was never not polite but I wouldn't go out of my way to do something for someone I didn't know. It was just something that made me uncomfortable. Now I take a minute and think about what kind of world I want my boys to grow up in. How do I want strangers to treat them and what kind of impact do I want them to have on their world. I want them to go beyond polite. I want them to be kind to others and to be leaders in this kindness. They can change their world, and I want to help them. 

I am a better friend because of my children. Motherhood can be lonely. It can be scary and it can be overwhelming. I've always been close to my family and happy that I still am but what I've learned is that friends are family that you get to choose. I've shared here how important my village is to me. Being a mom taught me that. Being a mom helped me realize I need to be surrounded by friends who love me and who love my children. People who want to be there for you in the good and the bad. Friends who are more like family then you could ever imagined. Women who you want to share motherhood with. My boys taught me how to be a better friend. 

These little people see us and look up to us. We teach them new things everyday, but take a minute and think about how they really show us how to live life openly. Free to be who they are and love how they want to love. Because those little hearts only know how to love one way, truly and deeply. We can learn a lot from them if we listen.