I recently asked my collector and friend, Jenna, to talk about what she’s learned as a mom to three young kids, Jennings, Hayden and Clyde. This is part of a project I'm doing where I'm asking the moms whose children I paint to share the wisdom they've learned from motherhood. I've loved hearing their answers. It's been really eye-opening and I wanted to share some of their insights with other moms.
Jenna, like all moms, faces the daily challenges of raising children in our world. Her biggest worries are about their welfare and happiness – physically, mentally, and spiritually. When I asked Jenna what being a mom has taught her, her number one answer was patience. Lot and lots of patience.
Patience not to fly off the handle at her kids. Patience to get them to their various activities on time and make sure their homework is done without pulling her hair out. Patience to resist the urge to do everything for them.
Being a mom is a tough job. I once heard a mom say that it brings out all your weaknesses.
When I asked Jenna to share one piece of advice for a mom-to-be she said, “Don’t sweat the small stuff. Everybody says it, but they grow up too fast. Savor it!”
Jenna knows if she's too busy worrying about the little things, she'll miss out on just enjoying her kids. She wants to savor each moment. Patience helps her to slow down and remember what's important, so she doesn't wake up one day and realize she missed out on their childhood.
Last Saturday my collector Betsy brought her daughter to my Saturday in the Studio monthly event. I painted a portrait of Callie when she was eighteen months old. I hadn’t seen her in two years.
I was blown away by how much she had grown, and it reminded of Jenna's advice – to savor the precious time when your children are young because they grow up so quickly.
Moms, what's one piece of wisdom you'd give to a mom-to-be?