This Too Shall Pass
“Everything Passes, everything” ~Anthony de Mello
My husband has been traveling for work, and for the past two weekends, I’ve been playing single parent. Let me tell you: it is challenging, emotionally and physically.
Small children have so much energy and are so curious that they get into everything. No matter how much you love your kids, after a few days of constant attention on their every move, it can become exhausting and draining for the parent.
I have so much respect for single parents, and parents with more kids than there are parents. How they handle everything while holding their composure is just amazing.
This past weekend, Ryan and I went out to buy him some walking shoes. He had fallen asleep in the car and when we arrived, I left the car radio running while he slept. By the time he woke up, it was 3pm and I was starving—having only eaten half a bagel earlier in the morning, no wonder I was starving for food. This is the problem sometimes. We become so focused on providing the needs for our kids we often forget to take care of our own needs until the last possible moment.
After finally getting some food and just as I took a bite of my sandwich, Ryan started screaming. He had a diaper blow-out which had wet his entire pants and half of his onesie. Of all days, on this day, I didn’t pack a change of clothing.
We came back to our table at the restaurant and he wouldn’t settle down. The only thing to keep him from screaming was if I wore him. So I carried him in a baby carrier around my chest while rushing to finish my food so we can go buy a change of clothes for him.
Then suddenly, I felt a sharp pain and before I could stop myself, I had already yelled out “Ouch!!” in alarm. I looked down, and Ryan bit me just below my neck. He smiles back at me with full delight, unaware he did anything wrong. Everyone at the restaurant looked at me, wondering why I screamed “Ouch!”
By this point, I was completely drained, energy wise. Having been alone with him for several days without break. With tears held back, I finished the last of my sandwich. “Parenting is hard,” I thought. But all parents have days like this, where several things goes wrong at the same time. Despite your best effort to prepare, sometimes you forget, and other times, you just cannot predict what can happy.
What helped me through this was telling myself “this too shall pass.” Everything passes, eventually—including tough moments. And before we know it, Ryan will be a young man, running around on his own, and probably will be too embarrassed to hold my hand.
Time is ticking, regardless of what we’re doing, whether we are experiencing joys or challenges. All shall pass. Everything.
--Tina Su
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