Not My Own

Parenthood is a Marathon

The LA Marathon was last weekend and I have several friends who ran in it. I’ve heard from many marathon runners that the whole experience teaches them so much about life. The training, preparation, pacing one self, knowing when to kick it into high gear, when to fall back a bit - it’s all a metaphor for life. Prior to having children, I ran my life more like a sprint. Trying to fit it all in, and do it as quickly as possible! I ran non-stop and loved every moment. Now that I’m older, and have 3 small children, my pace has slowed down a bit! And I’m learning not only to pace myself for this long journey called motherhood, but also to pace out their little lives while they are under my care. It’s really easy to rush things because it becomes so much fun! But life is best when it’s experienced in the proper time, not too early, not too late. Let them walk when they’re ready, let them take to solid foods when they’re ready, let them sleep over at a friend’s house when they’re old enough to enjoy it and not cry in the middle of the night! There are so many fun things to look forward to with our children, but let’s not rush it. We’re in the midst of a marathon here, not a sprint! We need to train well, pace ourselves and our little ones, know when to push into the next season, and when to slow down. We’ll be stronger, healthier, and happier if we treat parenthood more like a marathon than a sprint.