Lessons I’ve Learned from My Daughters

Often times, as we raise our children, we ourselves go through growth. I certainly can attest to doing much growing up during those years of raising our two daughters.

When I think of my life with my two, and with my husband, I know without a doubt that I have gained some very valuable schooling while raising them, and from being in their purview for 4 decades.

The most profound lesson that my older daughter Amy, now 42, has taught me, is to have open arms of love.  From the time she was a young girl, she championed her friends in many ways.  I was at first uncomfortable, and then began to understand, when one of her childhood mates really needed us.  Our home became the place to come and play, a haven to get away from those things that were hard.

This open door became a blessing to us, too, as they and their friendship grew. Often times this sweet strawberry blond gave so much in return by reminding our daughter of her blessings to have us in her life.

This gift became crystal clear to me, when in high school, Amy’s friend lost both of her parents, and needed a place to live, and finish school.  What a very wonderful time for all of us to have her in our home.

Amy opened her arms to many, and many of those friends are still in her life.  She opens her home now to have dinner parties, and often is the one to help care for the children of her friends, not having any yet of her own, she loves investing in those sweet little ones.  

Amy also has great creative energy and has shown me how to make a warm and lovely home, with fresh flowers, and changes in pillows or rugs to brighten her world.  She is now carrying on the tradition of making and bottling sauces, as her great grandmother did so long ago.

I have also, always been truly amazed at the resourcefulness of my younger daughter, Laura. I chuckle when I think about how she fought my tendency to want to shower her with possessions.  She preferred to save her money, buy second-hand clothes, and is still very frugal in all her ways as a wife and mother.  She instilled in me a love for consignment clothing.  Really good clothing, made well enough to survive to look new in a resale store, is a wonderful treasure hunt that I love now. I know my own frugal mother is proud of me up in heaven, at my new found resourcefulness.

One of the skills that has most amazed me is that when Laura began to have children she sought out a book called On Becoming Babywise.   Each of my grandchildren have been able to go to sleep on their own from the time they were babies.  Wow, that never happened when I was raising the girls. She would make nap times essential, not wavering, no matter what.  The reward is very obvious in the good natures of her children, even today.

Laura loves to garden, and her talent has produced some really stunning flowers, and yummy varieties of colorful vegetables from her rich soil.  She’s taught her children to help, and in the process capture caterpillars, studying their metamorphosis, from cocoon to butterfly.

This is how I see my daughters.  Before my very eyes, like the butterfly, they have transformed into lovely, talented women that I am very proud of.  I am watching, and fascinated, and learning from them as they live out their beautiful lives.