The phone rang this evening, my uncle from South Africa who I rarely speak to was after my father. My mum and dad were in the states, as far as I knew asleep, but unfortunately sad news doesn’t wait.
It was a phone call I never expected, one that rocked me to the core. A parent should never out last their child no matter what.
Just a few days ago I was messaging my mother, again who was in the states, a massive 13 hours behind me asking for advice on how to manage my 13 year old. We were at loggerheads, I was not coping with the attitude and overall ‘teenage hood’.
Never has the thought crossed my mind until tonight that ‘what if I was still here and she was not’.
Throughout the past few years I have been through the family courts, the criminal courts and so much more. Psychologists here for me and my daughter, an abusive relationship which we both were released from, but… I never imagined being without her….. not once did I ever imagine me without her.
That may sound selfish but that’s what life is all about. I will grow old as she does, isn’t that what we all expect?
When we have our children we picture a life full of laughs, tears, anger and much much more. We imagine grandkids running around and ourselves growing old watching this all happen. Worrying about how they are growing up, yet being the most important person in their life.. never do we imagine them passing before their time, before us! That’s just not how it goes!
It was a wake up call, a moment to reflect on just how important the time we have is!
Even when we are annoyed, disappointed or even at a loss we have to take that moment to enjoy what we have. It’s a life lesson, be thankful, be appreciative that we are being challenged, that we are in demand as a parent, as who knows when we may not be!
We only get ‘life’ once, and yes at times we question, the why, the what, the how, but at the end of the day when we wake up whole tomorrow we have to remember it’s a new day. Another day. A gift!
Parenting, patience, relationships and resilience! 
So true Shelley and beautifully said.
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