"YOU ARE NOT LISTENING!"

"Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you, no matter what. If you don't listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won't tell you the big stuff when they are big, because to them, all of it has always been big stuff."
                                                      ~Catherine M Wallace

This quote struck a chord in my heart. So often Cooper has big things to say in a big way. This kid has energy and excitement about EVERYTHING. And so often I have my own agenda, places to go, tasks to get done. So often he is saying, "Mommy, Mommy, did you see that?" Or he is taking his time telling me about something that seems so small in my BIG world full of chores and tasks. So often I rush him along, I tell him "did you hear me?" or "are you listening to me? WHY aren't you listening to me?" But this quote stopped me in my tracks. It came at a perfect time for me. Recently Cooper has been saying, "Mommy, YOU ARE NOT LISTENING TO ME!" You know what? He is right, a lot of times I am not!

I strongly believe that a parent child relationship should be based on mutual respect. How can I expect him to respect me if I am not respecting him? So often I look at him and I think "why am I so impatient with this little boy, this child, who is so patient with me, so patient with his sister, so understanding and compassionate." I really think Cooper was given to me to teach me about myself. He and I are so much alike and I learn about my temperament through him.

I shall let this be a reminder to myself to listen to this child who is right in front of me, teaching me to be respectful, begging me to participate in his world of wonder, for this will not last long, he is growing up right before my eyes and I always want to be invited in his world. Always.

He requested a shower the other day. This also stopped me in my tracks. What? A shower? But you are a little boy. He was so cute and peaceful in the shower, testing the water, lingering and enjoying the warmth. I was glad to capture this moment, my boy, who is growing all too fast.