Musings - Weight Lifting Anyone?

As I continue to adjust to a new life following the birth of our fifth child, I am reminded of some wisdom shared by a sweet acquaintance years ago when my first child was an infant.

She was a "seasoned mom" with three kids. Three kids! I remember being in awe of her as she moved her entourage so gracefully from place to place. She asked me how I was handling new-motherhood and all that it involved. Her inquiry prompted a cascade of complaints from me. I was having a difficult day and feeling overwhelmed with the increase of laundry, my own physical recovery and adjustment, and the realization that going anywhere now was a much more complex process because of the baby. I assured her, however, that I was pretty sure I was happy to be a mom. Her response to my pitiful grumblings was shocking! "You are just a wimp," she said, then continued, "but you're supposed to be! You've never been a mom before. It's hard and it requires adjustment. Being a mom is just like weight lifting." I was pretty sure at that point that she was crazy. But, she went on to explain that much like weight lifting, we start out with small weights: little infants who sleep most of the time and don't require any discipline. However, because we've never "lifted weights" before even a little weight really hurts. As we continue to lift, our muscles get stronger and stop hurting and we are able to handle heavier weight. This is a good thing because infants grow and turn into toddlers who require much more patience and stamina. Each time a child goes through a difficult phase, or a new child is added to the family we take on more weight which hurts because we've never lifted this much before. But soon, our muscles adjust and the pain is alleviated.

Little did she know at that moment that she was sharing a perspective that would bring me hope and assurance many times as I lifted new loads and went through the process of "allowing my muscles to grow." Now with five children, I marvel at the strength that has come to me through the past several years. I've gone through the process of pain, growth, and relief countless times. And now, as I feel a little ache with the adjustment of adding a fifth child to our family, I cherish this new little one with confidence that things will get better and I will grow in strength.