Mom Goggle Appreciation

Parents see their children differently than others see them. They perceive their potential, dream up ambitions, stare directly into their handsomeness, and (hopefully) cheer loudly. This strange view from parenting also causes overreaction to any missteps or personality struggle as an assumed lifelong failure. Some people refer to this phenomenon as "mom goggles". If you've never heard this term you could educate yourself by watching the mom goggle episode of The Goldbergs... You'll thank me later. I've determined that mom goggles actually alter how parents perceive the world. That may sound super inspirational (feel free to journey there in your mind if you're so lead), but I'm actually referring to the things that parents appreciate that these same people were literally incapable of appreciating (as intensely) the minute before they had a child. 

Here are a few things mom goggles make much more vivid:

Appreciation For Drive Thru's-

Any business that gives me the option to keep the crew who can't all buckle or walk themselves stuck in their 5-point harnesses is going to win my loyalty. 

Freshly Clipped Finger Nails-

I rarely noticed the length of other human beings finger nails until I bore tiny versions with miniature talons that will rip flesh from me if not kept up on every 37.4 hours (approximately). 

Feeding Yourself, And Only Yourself-

Cutting up meat into bite-sizes pieces is not a chore when said pieces are entering my own mouth. But when there's a mass of tiny, hungry mouths screaming in impatience for their next bite, meal time changes. Date night has ceased being about where we eat out, as I simply cebrate eating my own meal when it's hot. 

Spare Time-

Friends in my MOPS group collectively grieve the absurd amount of time Sienfeld stole from our pre-children days. I can't figure out why we spent the evenings inside when there were no sleeping minors to keep us at home? Why didn't I paint, or learn a stupid human trick, or volunteer, or train for more endurance sports, or master tap dancing then? I didn't even know how awesome "killing time" in Target was until I became a parent. 

Leaving The House With Ease-

It was so simple for all those years I didn't even notice. I never truly appreciated how super I am at putting on my own shoes and coat. I now see that I am very talented at these skills, and I pray that one day my offspring will, too, be blessed with these abilities... Because currently we collectively are horrendous at leaving the house. 

Rooms Staying Clean-

I'm not, how you say, a "natural homemaker"... Previous to miniature humans moving in, I would think "when was the last time I swept the apartment?" Because it didn't NEED swept!!! That concept is mind boggling at this point of my cheerio-crumbs-everywhere life. 

Normal Toothpaste Tubes-

This...

makes me view a toothpaste tube that's been squeezed with the use of fine motor skills with more appreciation than I ever thought necessary. 

There are many more things that children make us view with deeper appreciation... and that seriously is a blessing. Since the first 8 years have raced by, I'm going to grasp as much vividness and thankfulness out of each season, and trust the Lord to use it all to grow me as the journey continues. Let's not become bitter with longing over what's not in our current season, and strive to be appreciative along the way.