Schooling

My classes start immediately after discovering for the first time that I'm having a baby. That was 6 years ago. I made an advance study and interviewed my first Teacher-Doctor-Auntie Julie about what to expect and do. She gave me a lot of pointers in between shocked expressions and shrieks of excitement.

 

At an early stage, I got to learn more about my body and how to better care for it for my baby. I was a sponge for knowledge and even discovered a lot of pregnancy-related superstitious beliefs.

 

8 months into the program, I had my first school exam and this was when I had a pre-matured labor. The difficult and terrifying exam lasted 5 hours but praise God, I passed the test and came out stronger.

 

And then I gave birth and entered Grade 1. It was completely different from what I was expecting. I thought I had it covered because I prepared for this for 9 months but I knew I have another thing coming as soon as we brought our baby home. I have to endure many sleepless nights. Most of the time, I feel really stupid for not knowing how to make my son stop crying. No one can argue how joyful I am to have Miguel but back then, I would always crave for "alone time" just to keep my sanity. My first fail was in not being able to breastfeed my first Baby. I was led to believe I can't and wouldn't have known I can if not for my second baby.

 

People would say that giving birth is the hardest and most painful experience for a woman, but for me who had only 5 hours of labor and a C-section, I think what comes after giving birth is the real challenge.

 

And so every Mother's day, I am always reminded that it is recognition day, but not for me but for Mothers before me. I am in awe for my Lola, who had 11 children, my Am'ma, who had 9 children, my mother-in-law, who had 5 and my mother, who had 3. They are my role models, the honor students and 'Laudes' so to speak. 

 

I believe that mothers belong to an exclusive organization and once you are in, you are in for life. When you talk to another mother, there's a good possibility that people around you will get lost hearing about our own exclusive world. We also have clusters depending on our status, interests or advocacies e.g. the breast-feeding advocates, the home-schooling moms, soccer moms, working moms, etc.

 

Then, we have the teachers, who earned their PhDs in many life experiences. But there is none so good and none so wise as God.

 

There are many books and articles published about being a good mother. These literatures also have contradicting statements and issues e.g. how to discipline children. Information overload can sometimes drive us out of focus. The fear of the unknown too can turn good-meaning mommies into paranoid-freak-monster moms. So, we must be able to rely on truths that are always dependable in terms of raising our children. Allow me to share the following Bible verses related to parenting:

 

Deuteronomy 6:5-9
5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

 

Proverbs 22:6
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

 

Colossians 3:21
Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

 

Proverbs 13:24
Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.

 

Hebrews 12:11
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

 

Proverbs 22:15
Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.

 

Proverbs 29:17
Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.

 

I'm sure there's more and my hope is whoever reads this can add more related Bible verses to the list by sharing a comment.

 

In this life-long course on motherhood, graduation will be when I breathe my last. And so, I thank God for providing good teachers and tutors and the love and support of my husband. May God also give me more supplies of wisdom, love, patience,  kindness, forgiveness and selflessness to overcome the tests that will come my way. I aspire for honors and the top achievement for me in this academy is to be able to share the saving grace of Jesus Christ to my children and to raise them as God-fearing people so they can always please the Lord.

 

My final words for myself and for all my fellow classmates everywhere, enjoy the classes, reccesses, semesters and school years to come. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, study hard and God bless!