Parenthood gives us so many moments. Moments that make our hearts swell. Moments that walk us right to the edge as we dig deep for patience and grace. Moments that fill us with fear and worry. Moments that bring pride and joy to our lives. In these moments time seems to stand still, doesn’t it? And we, although we all exist in different phases of parenting, are bonded to each other by this idea that the moment we are in, for us, stops time.

For the mother whose baby lays his head on her shoulder as she rocks him, time stands still.

For the mother who watches her daughter perform for the very first time, time stands still.

For the mother who watches her son proudly put on his shoes by himself, time stands still.

For the mother who stands back as her child walks into kindergarten for the very first time, time stands still.

For the mother who sits patiently next to her child as he blends sounds together and reads words, time stands still.

For the mother who waits anxiously in carpool line wondering if the amount of studying they did for the math test was enough, time stands still.

For the mother who waits on the call to learn whether her child was accepted, time stands still.

For the mother, as her child hits “submit” on the last college application, time stands still.

For the mother as she watches him walk out the door to begin his life away from her, time stands still.

For the mother who learns that her own daughter is pregnant, time stands till.

For the mother who welcomes a grandchild into the world, time stands still.

In those moments, we are still. The world revolves around us, but we are consumed by that moment. We pour our whole selves into those moments trying desperately to remember those that are good and valiantly trying to survive the bad. They define us as parents. They unite us as mothers.

May time stand still for you too and may it be mostly in the happy moments. Press on, mama. You are never alone.

Find the joy~

Jessica

**Jessica McCauley, M.Ed. is a parenting coach/consultant. She draws on her background as a Montessori educator and Child Life Specialist to help families navigate the challenges of the early childhood years. Contact Jessica at [email protected] for more information or to schedule a consultation.