A New Life

When a baby is born everyone begins to talk about "a new life" and it is automatically assumed that means the child. I have learned from experience how that staple statement is far more than a birth announcement.

Eleven years ago I was a totally different person than I am today. The person I was could only be bothered to worry about the things that would affect me. My vocabulary consisted of "me" and "I" mostly. "I" needed this or "I" wanted that. This would be good for "me" or that would be best for "me." Then it happened. That moment in my life when "I" was not first on the list and "me" was going to have to share the spotlight.

"Selfish me" left on the day that I met one of the most important and inspiring people I know -- my daughter. Of course I had nine whole months to plan and prepare for her. I had the baby clothes, the special laundry soap, the diapers, the bottles, the new room furnished with bright, musical, happy, baby-safe decorations and toys, the works! But as anyone who ever walked the road of parenthood knows, you can never prepare enough.

As I talked with my husband the first night she was with us, it occurred to me that I had changed in a moment - literally!
The moment she made her debut, I began my "new life." No longer were "I" and "me" the center of my conversations. Everything was now her, she, ours and us. The only context in which "I" and "me" came up was what "I" could do for her and what she needed from "me."

I had believed I was grown-up when I turned eighteen and even moreso when I was getting married at twenty-two. I wasn't yet; I grew up, finally, eleven years ago when I first looked into the beautiful little face of a person who needed me more than I did.

Apparently, the exit of "selfish me" and "self-centered I" was all that was needed to continue with our "new life" as my daughter has since been joined by a brother and a sister - I'm bursting with pride to say! Even though this was not the plan I had for myself in my younger, self-absorbed days, there would be nothing in this world that could make me trade away what I have been blessed with. These days, bliss to me is running around with school activities to get to, dance recitals to prepare for, sports events to cheer at and pretty much anything thing that I do with my kids.

Don't knock that "new life" until you give it a try!