When Your Daughter Teaches YOU Lessons

In parenting, we often consider ourselves the teacher, our children the students. Of course it should look like this, as we prepare our children to be children, all while preparing them to be adults one day. But what we often overlook is the fact that they are teaching us just as much about life. If we are willing to learn.

My daughter has taught me more about life than I have probably taught her.

Her patience with me is remarkable. How many times a day do I say “just a minute” when at the grocery store, I am glancing over the lines to see which is the shortest because I feel I don’t have “just a minute” to wait.

We can both get frustrated with each other and though she may be shedding tears, she’s the first one to wipe them away and give me a hug. My how quickly children get over things!

The trust she has in other people, puts me to shame. She is so willing to smile at strangers. Am I that quick?

Oh the innocence of a child. She doesn’t care if she walks out of the house with the oddest outfit on. If it’s something she is proud of, well, she will surely wear it proudly. With a little extra pep in her step because in her mind, she feels like a million bucks. I know this is an area that I need to work on. Am I that confident about me? Um, no. I worry just as much about body image as every other woman does. I’ve been praying to have a better mindset because how I see myself is how Mazy will see herself someday. Am I setting a good example? My daughter doesn’t care if her hair just doesn’t quite lay right that day. My daughter doesn’t care if her pants are just a little too short (that’s my fault…sorry Mazy!) My daughter isn’t worried about all those little details like I am. Boy, I sure have a lot to learn from her! Please stay innocent, my child!

Her biggest worries are small. Where is blankie? Can we go to the park today? Oh I love it and oh how I need that. Not that we can live in oblivion to the world around us, but there is such a trust in her heart. When there is an owie, she tells me Jesus will make it all better. Oh the grand faith she has. I could use a good dose of that sometimes!

Thank you Mazy, for teaching me to imagine. To think big. To let my mind run wild. To see her create scenarios and live out the stories she sees in her head, makes me want to dream and do the same. God has given us this beautiful world to dream in. To make dreams come true. Do I let my mind run wild? What if I didn’t dream? What a sad day that would be. God has given us minds to knock even our own socks off. And Mazy has taught me to dream that big to see what God can do.

Finally, talk about unconditional love. Mazy is always running back to Dan and I, despite our failures. We are not perfect. We are sinful human beings who make mistakes. But she continually accepts our love and comes running back, day after day, into our arms. How much more do I need to accept and keep running into the arms of MY Heavenly Father? The love and compassion she has is contagious. I could not be more thankful for the heart that God has given her!

How about you? Have your children taught YOU lessons? This is just a small, teeny-tiny handful, of what Mazy has taught me. That girl lives life with eyes wide open. She is a toddler so she is active, but I love her energy. I feed off of it. I am so thankful that God has used Mazy to teach me so many life lessons. And I just hope that in the same way, God can use me to do the same with her.