Parenting and Patience

Parenting is one of the hardest things any person could ever undertake. And the number one tool to get you through the years is patience.

I am by no means an expert, whatsoever. In fact, I have little to no patience with small human beings. I can usually manage better when they're not my own, while my own child must bear the force of my unwavering frustration and stubbornness.

Oh, the behaviors we inherit...

Point is, I had a moment yesterday.
Surreal for but a split second. A small, seemingly insignificant realization that was felt more than thought. Any thought can be thought - I can think, "I won't be upset next time he spills the milk. I know it's an accident when it happens. I should be nurturing, encouraging, forgiving." But the feelings are felt despite the thought. That's just how the brain is wired.

But yesterday... He did something that upset me, and the feelings flooded in. I thought my thought, but this time it actually clicked. I could almost literally feel it happen in my head. Then the calm fell over my eyes like a curtain, and the frustration and impatience were just - poof - gone.

As I vaguely mentioned, I have inherited a lot of bad behaviors. And behaviors and thought patterns and even actions themselves can be hard to rewrite and reprogram. The sensory, motor, and emotional parts of ours brains are buried deep under layers of ingrained neural connections and relationships.

This small moment was a big breakthrough for me. It may seem insignificant in others' eyes, but it's important to me and for me to acknowledge it. I know the power is there for me to modify the way I feel, act, and react. And yesterday was my first, real, small step.

Currently reading - The Biology of Transcendence: Blueprint of the Human Spirit by Joseph Chilton Pearce