This weekend Kate and I went to the park near our house with our friend Angie. She ran a marathon a few weeks ago and is already preparing for another one in a few weeks so she needed to run a few miles while she was staying with us. Even though it was pretty cold, Kate and I bundled up and decided to walk at the track while she ran around it.
I've never known anyone who has run a marathon before, so Angie has been educating me in the ways of the marathon running world. From what she's told me about all it takes to run marathons, I've decided parenting is very similar to running a marathon.
Here's a basic rundown of my thoughts (M - Marathon; P - Parenting):
M - Angie needs the right sort of gear to run: clothes, wristwatch that keeps track of miles, shoes that properly fit her feet
P - I need to be armed with momma gear every time I'm out of the house with Kate: extra clothes, wipes, snacks, and toys as well as dressing myself in shirts that can get smeared with snot and shoes that can keep up with fast toddler feet
M - Runners need to eat well (Angie even has special running snacks like electrolyte gel and jelly beans packed with carbs), drink lots, and take care of their bodies to survive the strain
P - When I became a parent, taking care of myself took on a new meaning - I need to be as fit physically, emotionally, and spiritually as I can be so that I can actively lead and teach this little girl who watches everything I do. I have remind myself frequently that I have to be nourished before I can nourish her (sort of like the oxygen masks on an airplane...)
M - Runners have to be dedicated in order to be successful - they train when it's hot or freezing cold outside (see picture above!), they train when they feel like it and when they don't - because training through the hard stuff teaches them to overcome and be able to endure the marathon
P - It doesn't matter if Kate is in a good mood or not, if she's being obedient or not, if she's well or sick (or if I'm in a good mood or feeling sick) - I must be dedicated enough to my job of being a momma that I keep making the most of opportunities to "train" Kate because sometimes the most teachable moments are when things aren't going well and life's not easy
M - Runners need people cheering them on at their difficult mile markers during the marathon because it helps them pull through those tough stretches when the body wants to stop going
P - I love Kate with as unconditional of a love as humans are capable of and I'm incredibly privileged to have been chosen to be her momma, yet at times I feel so discouraged and overwhelmed in this 24/7 job of trying to be a godly parent that I desperately need those key encouragers in my life to be there cheering me on with sincerity (telling me what I'm doing right as well as teaching me how I can be better) - and when they do I find myself stretching a little further, growing more, and able to do things I never thought I was capable of
M - Sometimes during a marathon you have to slow yourself down - to take a drink, eat something, or even just to go to the bathroom so you can focus better on your goal and be able to sustain yourself in order to reach that goal
P - After three years of parenting I'm just now learning the value of allowing myself to take a break every once in a while without feeling guilty so I can recharge, renew, and be able to get back in the swing with a fresh appreciation for my sweet girl. Before just recently, any time we needed to have someone else watch Kate for a little while I felt selfish and guilty - but now I see that although the marathon of parenting is definitely rewarding, I'll be doing it the rest of my life so I need to start focusing on pacing myself more! I've been in sprint mode rather than marathon mode for these first few years of Kate's life, so I've raced right past opportunities for refreshment because I wasn't taking the time to acknowledge how long this marathon will be and to realize how much better I'll be able to run if I slow down for a minute or two so I can recharge.
Looking at parenting as a marathon has given me the perspective I needed at this point in my stage of learning to be a better momma for Kate. Without question I'm very far from perfect, so I know it will be impossible for me not to scar my child in one way or another because of those imperfections - but I'm trying my best to do all I can and praying the Lord's grace will cover the rest as I run one of the most important marathons in my life!
"Let us run the race that is set before us with endurance..." Hebrews 12:1
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