Growing Up Right Before My Eyes

Tomorrow is KBug's 7th birthday.

Seven.

My baby is seven.

I don't like this growing up, getting older thing she's doing.

Anyways. So she's going to be seven, whether I like it or not. I'm just going to have to get used to it. And by the time I get used to her being seven and a second grader, she'll be turning eight and getting ready for third grade and so on and so forth for the rest of her life.
 

This is the part of being a mother I'm not sure I like.

But, what can I do?

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So KBug is growing up, I'm feeling old, and I'm watching her become an amazing young lady with a deeper understanding of the world, and of people, than I could have ever imagined her to have.

 

Some will say I'm biased and that every parent believes their child is smarter than their age. Some will say that all parents believe their child walks on water.

 

Let me tell you, KBug does not walk on water. She is far from perfect. And she has her good days and her bad days. KBug is human, and she understands this. KBug understands that I do not expect her to be perfect. She is not expected to bring home perfect grades every week. She is not expected to have perfect behavior all of the time. She is not expected to be perfect in any way shape or form.

 

KBug has been taught from an early age that no one is perfect. And believe me, she will tell you all about it if you ask her. I am fortunate to have plenty of back up in this particular area of parenting from my Gramma and brother who live with me, and from KBug's school. There is something to be said for sending her to a Catholic school and for having an knowledge of God present in her every day learning.

 

KBug understands that making mistakes is okay. She understands that sometimes people don't get things on the first try and they have to try again and again before they get it right. She understands that it's okay for her to not always remember everything and that it's okay to ask for help.

 

Because she knows that she is not expected to be perfect in everything she does.

 

KBug absolutely amazes me. Every day. With her ability to learn, her desire to be a good person, and her understanding of the people around her. I wish I knew how she was capable of taking it all into her seven-year-old mind and make sense of it because I am into my twenties and still don't get it all at times.

 

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I love watching her grow and become the person she is meant to be. As her parent, of course I want her to be whatever she wants to be. But I understand that what she is going to be has very little to do with me. I can provide her with a stable home, supply her with the basic necessities, be an emotional back bone and give her a solid foundation of love and happiness upon which she can grow. But beyond that I have no control over who she becomes.

 

Who she becomes is entirely up to her. And I know that I have to leave her in God's hands and teach her to live by His word and in His light. She is a daughter of God, born into and raised in the Catholic church. She is "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14) with all the potential in the world to be great and perform wonderful deeds for the good of human kind. I have faith in Him that he will guide her and protect her. And  I have faith in KBug that she will live up to her potential and be the amazing person I know she can be.

 

As much as I don't like my baby girl growing up right before my eyes, I am enjoying every minute of it. I wouldn't trade it for the world. KBug is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I could not be more proud to be her mother. She brought purpose to my life and gave me the sense that I was put on this Earth to  do something. I'm not just a sitting duck in this world. I am a mother. And I am a mother to a truly wonderful little girl, whom I would not give up to save my life.

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KBug is my inspiration, my joy, my light. She is my everything. And I thank God everyday for bringing her into my life. It hasn't always been easy, and it won't always be easy. But every minute is worth it for all the happiness she has brought to my life.