Pausing To Reflect with Lisa Foster

Hi, and welcome to Real Life Momz. I'm your host, Lisa Foster, and Real Life Momz is a podcast that's all about connecting moms through real parenting conversations. I believe that moms have so much insight and knowledge, and together we are powerful. On this podcast, we give moms a voice to tell their stories and share their expertise and resources through real conversations. And this is all about reflecting as I am reflecting on this past school year and the closing of one chapter and the opening of another.

Hello, and welcome back to the Real Life Momz podcast; this week is a solo episode because May is a great time for me to pause and reflect. It is the end of the school year, and as much as this time is crazy and filled with events that fill up my calendar, it is also a time I can pause and truly reflect on the past school year.

And this year is big because this year, my youngest graduates Middle School, and now I am suddenly a mom of two High Schoolers. How did this happen?

I think back to when my youngest began Kindergarten, the excitement in his eyes to be on the bus with his big sister. And how a feeling of relief swept over me because this was the first time that, as I left for work, I didn't feel guilty.

I reflect back on how much curiosity, joy courage in my kids during those Kindergarten years. I wish I could have bottled that light, that joy, and saved it for them in their teen years when they were feeling less when they felt discouraged or not good enough or just couldn't find their place.

  But today I look at my two teens both who tower over me as I am the shortest person in the family. And I see these incredible people before me; somewhere along this bumpy ride of self-doubt and emotional ups and downs emerged these two beautiful humans that I truly look up to. Not just because they are taller than me but because they both have developed into adults that are kind, funny, creative and, most of all, caring. My son somehow has mastered the art of inner peace and self-worth. He is truly wise beyond his years, and as much as he is still new to the teen world, and words and actions of others on the outside still can hurt him. He has figured out who he is, and what he feels is important, and he truly makes decisions on his own core beliefs, something I still work on in my 50ś. He is truly grounded in himself, and he likes who he is. 

My daughter, who has always strived to fit in and had a fear of missing out, has started to step up as a role model for others. Whether it is helping a freshman find their class, making a new team member feel welcome, or, in my case, just the other day after receiving a gift card for Mother´s Day, I said we should go shopping, and her reply was, mom you need to use that for yourself.¨ Which warmed my heart that this human that I helped create showed compassion and encouraged me to do something for myself.

I don't know where the time goes. And as each stage passes, I am so grateful for what they have learned and how it has influenced them to become the people they are today. And I have to say I am excited about the next phase because as much as I have loved each phase, I know the next one will be even better.

Enjoy your kids, whatever stage of life they are in, and celebrate the beautiful people they have become.

Thank you for listening to this episode I hope that you take a minute to reflect and celebrate your children and the beautiful people they´ve become.