Graduation season is upon us and social media has been abuzz with snapshots of proud parents and their offspring. So it seems like a good time for this week’s Whiny Wednesday topic:
Feeling left out when friends and relatives celebrate parenting milestones.
As always, your other whines are always welcome.
Graduation. It’s been 20 years since graduating high school and this December 16 from college. It has been 7 years since “graduating” from jumping off the infertility crazy train.
But my social media is filled with Pre K, K, 5th, 8th, 12th, and College graduation photos. Enough to drive the person who thinks they are finally okay with it into a slight depression.
I find I have to focus on “what is my real legacy?” Children seem a natural legacy. I guess it is just part of human nature to want to leave one… As a follower of Jesus, I try to focus on what my real legacy is – to point people to Him. The best thing I can leave behind is not my name, or things of me, but things people got from me that pointed them to Him. Casting Crowns has a song about that, which I go to. It’s not always easy, and I sometimes feel the loss of all the other things of children, but I can choose to celebrate other’s kids and be an encouragement to their kids outside of their family dynamic. My pet peeve, however: when people send me photos of them and their kids without a note or anything of connection. Then it feels like they are just showing off their trophies!
The hardest part for me is “the empty nest”… and the long explanation…
…still don’t get it…
I was away for Mother’s Day on vacation with my husband which was great. But coming back I rmebered to stay away from social media on Mother’s Day, but forgot about it recently with the graduations. It is like a media frenzy with all the kids and proud parents. I start out ok with it, but than after seeing so many, it was a bit sad. It’s been years since our adoption was reversed and occasionally can’t help but think about the baby we had and his developmental milestone that we are not a part of. I do have a Godchild that is young, a lot of my nieces and nephews are grown, and are not that interested in hanging with there Aunt. And with compounded family dynamics I see them less. My mother is suffering from dementia and that has been difficult to advocate for her and slowly watch her turn into someone else. So this year, it hit a little ha4der for me, than other years. I be learned I need to acknowledge my feeling and shed a tear or two if needed but do t best myself up,that I am quote not over this, or that I should be doing better. The pain for me is in the resisting, then just allowing myself to feel! Thanks for your thoughts about this topic!i greatly appreciate being heard by people who truly understand! ❤️