This I believe...

Have you ever listed to NPR's, "This I Believe"? It's a 3 minute section where listeners write a short essay about something in which they believe. I recently had a professor ask us to write an essay like the ones on "This I Believe". I could've done it on any number of controversial issues. But, I decided to do mine on the one thing that I believe in most... Being a Mommy. Anyway, I wanted to share it...

Parenthood Changes You - Shaunna Hinshaw

Last October, I became a mother. If you would’ve asked me five years ago, I would’ve told you that I don’t want kids. Then, one day a little over a year and a half ago, my husband and I had a conversation that changed our lives. We decided to have a baby. I knew it would change my life. I knew I would have to start dealing with dirty diapers, feedings, etc. However, I didn’t know if would change the way I look at the world.

Before I had a child, I was never scared of anything. I would walk across empty parking lots late at night and barely give it a second thought. I would speed down the highway doing 75 mph without a seatbelt and never blink an eye. Now, I am always thinking about life, how precious it is and how easily it can slip away. Now, I always wear my seatbelt. I rarely speed. I try to avoid junk food. I take my vitamins almost everyday. I worry more too. I worry more about diseases and illness. Not only ones that could affect Cade, but me too. I worry about anything that could have the opportunity to rob us of our precious time together.

I am always reflecting on my son. I think of him constantly. He is my number one priority, my number one responsibility, my number one expense, my number one source of dirty laundry, but most of all he’s my number one source of fun, joy, entertainment and best of all, love. I often think of our future together. I look forward to T-Ball games, little league wrestling matches, teaching him words and numbers. I even look forward to fighting with him to take his baths, brush his teeth and do his homework!

Being a mother has changed me so much. On Friday and Saturday nights, I could care less what our friends are doing. I don’t want to go out dancing with my friends. I don’t care to go to a bar to shoot pool. The only thing I want to do is spend time with my precious little boy. I know one day way too soon, he’ll be much more interested in spending time with his friends instead of his mom. So, I sit back and take advantage of all these Friday and Saturday nights that we can spend together now.

Being a parent changes you more than you’ll ever know. Some may think this change is for the worse, but for me life couldn’t be sweeter. If you are a parent, you know exactly what I mean. If you’re not a parent, I hope someday you’ll become one so that you can experience the sorrows and joys of being a parent.