My brother is 11 years younger than I am, so we have always been a generation apart as we pass through life stages.
My oldest child will graduate from high school this year, and his firstborn is a newborn.
I have never ever in my life wished to return to some previous stage in my life.
I really cannot even explain it. I just enjoy all the grown-up roles I get to play ever year that I get older :)
This past weekend I got to play the role of older, more experienced mom.
I got to hold, sing, bounce and take care of the little high maintenence bundle while his mommy got some much needed sleep.
When the snapshot above was taken (by me) she had just come downstairs from several straight hours of sleep. She had color in her cheeks and love in her eyes again.
I remember vividly those days.
I remember wondering how I might take my next step...much less ever live normal life again :)
I couldn't help thinking last weekend as I just finished reading Little Women that in past generations this is why the women of the family surrounded the new mother and helped take care of the baby around the clock. Even in the infancy of medicine, women knew that a new mother must be allowed to rest and heal if she was to be able to take care of her child.
Interesting that we think we know so much today...but maybe, just maybe they knew more then.
Imagine that ;)
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce at At Home with Books
That is a lovely photo! I'm sure she was grateful for the rest. My husband and I were looking at baby photos of our kids today, and there was one that our in-laws took of us sitting on the couch looking like zombies after many sleepless nights.
ReplyDeleteHi Patti,
ReplyDeleteThat is a lovely shot and, as you say, Mum looks so much more relaxed after some quality rest.
Do you not think that everything in life whizzes past us so quickly, that we miss out on the important things?
What a beautiful snapshot. I think the ways of yesterday often are much more significant. Now we expect mothers to do it all on their own. How lovely that you were able to give your sister-in-law time to really rest.
ReplyDeleteLovely photo.
ReplyDeleteI think mothers are expected to do it all on their own a lot more now, which is a shame. I hope if I ever have children my family will all be around like you were for your sister in law.
What a sweet photo! I do love holding a new baby, but they CAN be exhausting!
ReplyDeleteYou're right about how women need each other when these big life changes occur. We lost that when we decided women were all powerful and we could do anything. I'm tired of doing it all :)
Lovely photo! Yes, I remember those days well . . .
ReplyDeleteI remember when my sister was born and I was thirteen; an old friend of my mother's came to stay for a few weeks to help out. My grandmother also put in her time.
ReplyDeleteWhen my oldest was born, my mom stayed with me for about a week.
Great photo!
Here's my snapshot:
(click on my name)
What a beautiful mom and baby. (My two brothers were 9 and 11 years older than me, so it was like being an only child growing up, as they married when they were 20 and 21).
ReplyDeleteI love this - and you are so right. New mothers desperately need old, experienced hands around them. I would have coped SO much better with my baby if I had had someone there to take him from time to time to get a bit of rest and sanity! Bless you for doing this for your sister-in-law. The good you do comes back to you tenfold.
ReplyDelete