Parenting Pride

There are many moments in parenting that are hard--beginning with the first days at home, often filled with crying and mysterious-looking diapers . . . and continuing into the teenage years when hormone surges the strength and unpredictability of tsunamis dominate some days.

Thankfully, there are also those sometimes unexpected moments that bring happy tears to a parent's eyes. I had several of those moments this weekend. As you recall from the previous post, Cody and Morgan were at a cattle show by themselves on Saturday. Yesterday, Tim and I went to watch Morgan show her heifer, Zell.

I had fun visiting with several "cattle show moms"--moms I rarely see outside of the cattle shows. One of them said to me, "I have to tell you what Cody said yesterday." My immediate thought was, "Oh oh! What smarty pants comment did he make to someone?" Thankfully, I was wrong. The mom told me how she'd driven onto the fairgrounds just as Cody and a friend were getting out of his truck. The mom pulled up by the boys, and asked them if she should go get them lunch. They replied that they had already eaten, and then Cody added, "And we fed our sisters, too!"

Maybe it sounds like a little thing . . . but (for you readers who do not have teenagers yet) it's a big deal for a sometimes selfish, usually self-centered teen to actually think to feed his sister (not that she would have starved without him feeding her). Making it even better was that I had NOT given him money, OR told him to "feed your sister"--he did it all on his own!

Another proud moment was watcing Morgan compete for and win Supreme Champion Junior Showman (woman!). First she showed against all the kids who showed a Simmental cow, and then she competed against the showmanship winners of all the other breeds. I could tell how hard she was working each time she was in the ring. Her heifer wasn't behaving the best, but Morgan kept calm and ultimately won! My eyes filled with tears of pride at her accomplishment when the judges announced her as the winner.

I treasure these moments . . . and pull them out of my memory during those "hormone tsunami," rolling-eyes-"mom-I-can't-BELIEVE-you'd-say/do-THAT" moments (and days)!