As your cup runneth over….by Wendy Sue Noah

We all know the drill as mothers.  There is almost always something to do, to take care of, to not forget about, and let’s not forget to take care of ourselves, too! Being a mom is by far the most challenging, frustrating and rewarding job I have ever had, and I’ve been around the job market for a long time. This year I turn 50, and I guess you can say that I’ve learned a lot of wisdom and truths from the school of hard knocks and from the heart of babes.

It’s easy to say, not as easy to do. So since my kids don’t always listen to me but most definitely watch me keenly and with great precision, I’ve realized that I’ve got to walk my talk.  Or talk my walk. Either way, I’ve got 10 eyeballs (5 kids times 2 eyeballs) on me or that is enough to get me moving in the right direction. Particularly, because this place called Earth, or this country called the United States, or this city that we live in called Los Angeles, is going through some tremendous challenges on so many levels! So if I want to lead in a new generation of leaders and soon-to-be adults who can stand on their own two feet with confidence, I don’t have any time to waste here.

One of my biggest learnings in life took a 180 degree turn from my teenager life, where my slogan was, “why me?” to now, which is “why not me?!” In other words, wherever we are, there we are. We are here, now. So, it is our choice to accept our reality, which will always have its blessings and its challenges (that’s life!) or we can bitch and moan about our reality. Either way, it is our reality. And if it includes young children who are looking up to you for guidance, do you really want to teach them to not be OK with their reality?!

Here’s a true story that I think reveals my point here. So my son, Samaj, is in a basketball league and during the games / practices, I have the opportunity to meet other parents.  There is another single mother, with three kids and with her parents by her side, ready to assist her / the kids. At one of the games, this single mom goes on and on about how difficult her life is, with her other two children sitting next to her, listening to her complaints. I did not respond to her, at first. Just listened and felt bad for her kids. Then a week later, she continues on her complaining track, and I interject that I am also a single mom. Of a tribe of five. And that I do not have family around to assist me, since I am originally from Boston. She just stopped talking, and looked at me in shock! Then her son stated enthusiastically, “See, mom. You don’t have anything to complain about now!”

I’ll never know if our interaction changed her outlook or if she went back on to the complaining unhappy whining track. Either way, people who know me or who meet me for the first time, like this basketball mom, are amazed at how happy I am, from the inside out. No, I do not have many of life’s luxuries, but what I do have is priceless. I have five beautiful children that God gave to me, that call me mom proudly. Two of them even told me that their friends think I am cool! To me, that means everything. We are healthy, happy and overall, a loving supportive family unit.

I do miss many luxuries from my past. Like living in a nice large home with a spacious yard, which we could really use here. But we have a nice enough space in a very pricey Los Angeles. We have a roof over our heads and  comfy beds to sleep in. We have fashionable clothes and have recently upgraded from Payless shoes to name brand shoes! Life is good.

And so, it is up to you. Is your glass half empty or half full? For me, my cup runneth over with blessings and love, from the inside out!

Tags: children, happiness, having kids, later motherhood, parenting, raising a family, wendy sue noah