March's Mission Final Check In

I can't believe March has come and gone. It is crazy how quickly time goes by. I am grateful for the experience I had in March thinking about motherhood and what it truly means to me. I wish I could say I was a perfect mother, that I truly focused all my energy into my March mission, and things went swimmingly every day, but that would not be reality. The end of March was pretty crazy with family in town and a marathon spring break adventure so I am sad to say that although I had an amazing time with my kids, I am not sure how "mindful" I was. I enjoyed them so that counts right? And in hindsight although the mission did not go exactly as I had planned, it did allow me to realign many of my priorities.

Here are some of the lessons I learned...

*Motherhood is truly a joy if you take time to enjoy your children.
-That doesn't mean that every moment is bliss, far from it, but if you can enjoy the little moments, the everyday annoyances do not seem so bad.

*Being a mindful mother does not mean spending every waking hour entertaining your children.
-When I first started this challenge I felt guilty when I was not spending every free moment doting on my kids. As the month went on I realized that a little investment of quality time with them each day allowed us to grow closer. The key is consistency. Spending time with them each day and making sure that time is well spent.

*How I act as a mother impacts the entire family environment.
-You know the saying, "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy"? As much as I cringe at the grammar of that statement, it is so true! When I am calm my kids are calm. When I am happy, my kids are happy (for the most part). When I am anxious, irritable, or just plain grumpy...you guessed it, my kids are too. That lesson was reinforced to me this month as I made the effort to be serene. Our home was truly a more peaceful place to be.

I know I have a lot to work on in the parenting department, but I am grateful for children who are quick to forgive and are full of love. I am also grateful for this past month and the opportunity it gave me to ponder on the wonder of my kids and how grateful I am to be their mother.