Motherhood Comes Full Circle

In early March of this year, I sat by my Mom’s bedside for a little over 38 hours. During that time, I put water in her mouth, drops in her eyes, held her hand and talked to her. I prayed, asking God for a peaceful transition, and for the strength to get through what was coming. Finally, I sat alone with her behind a pulled curtain, watching her take her last breaths as she stepped into eternity.

Less than two weeks later, I sat up for a little over 30 hours with my teenage daughter while she was violently ill. I wiped her face with a cool cloth, held her hair out of her face and gave her sips of water when she could tolerate it. During those hours that she slept, I thought back on my own childhood and the times that my Mom had set up with me all night.

As I sat there watching my daughter sleep, I thought about how much of our learning is caught rather than taught. I learned how to tend to a sick child by watching what my Mom did when she would tend to me. I learned most of the skills that have kept me through life by watching her get through life, although I’ve changed a lot of the methods. Lastly, I learned how to die by watching her smile before she stopped breathing, knowing she was walking into the arms of Jesus.

Our children are always watching, and always learning from us. The most important lessons aren’t the ones that they get out of their text books, but the ones that shape their hearts and characters, and ultimately their eternal destinations. Momma’s, you are the most influential person in your children’s lives. Motherhood one day comes full circle for us all, and when it comes to a close we need to rest assured that we’ve given them what they need to go on without us.

Joesette Huffman is a dynamic speaker, blogger, wife and homeschooling mother of two. She is is active both in the online homeschooling world and in her local homeschool community and church, as well as a volleyball coach and co-op leader. You can find her weekly at Learning Curve.