Celebrating Growth

Sherri Shumate is the mother of an older son and twin boys, pictured rather fancifully above. The oldest and the twins are about a year apart, so needless to say, she has a hectic, fulfilling life as a mother! Just recently she wrote about her realization that her boys are maturing. 



By Sherri Shumate

"What has she studied?"

"Everything!"

​That was my favorite response from my twins as they interviewed me last night for an assignment about an influential woman in their lives.

Anyone who knows me knows I'm tough on myself. I expect perfection and push myself beyond the limits of human ability always. This is who I've always been, and yet I'm constantly always expecting even more from me. I have never been and never will be a perfect role model for anyone including my children. I always tell people our children need to see us fail just as much or more than they need to see us succeed, but I'm the worst at taking my own advice, embracing my own limitation.

Still sometimes like last night, I have these moments when I let out a sigh and say to myself, "yes, Sherri you're doing something right." As I watched the kids independently complete their homework and check each other's work, compromise appropriately about dinner options, pack their own lunches, work together to choose play activities that met everyone's needs, crazy dance with me around the living room, take silly selfies while video calling family members, bathe and dress themselves, read independently, and put themselves to sleep, I just smiled.

For so many years, I wondered if this day would ever come when my children learned to do some things for themselves. Yesterday I celebrated the people they are and who they are becoming. Then I thanked God and the village of people who have shared this journey.

And then, I said to myself, "Sherri, you have loved them well and they are blessed to have you," and I gave myself just a little credit for the 9 long, amazing, exhausting years of mothering them that's led to this moment and promised to cut myself a tiny-little -wee bit of slack for the rest of the adventure yet to come.