Making Sacrifices for Gains

Comparing life before and after kids is like comparing apples and oranges. They are two entirely different animals, or seasons of life, and there's no way to really explain it. There are so many parts of life that are more fulfilling with kids, but there are also parts that are not as enjoyable as life pre-kids. Making sacrifices for those you love is becoming more a part of who we are thanks to having children. They really have a way of changing your life like that.

Raising two tiny humans, who are part of you, makes you reflect and realize what is really important in life. Family, relationships, people, and bringing up the next generation are so overwhelmingly important. You find that past priorities change and bend, much like the seasons change. You find that you will sacrifice things you used to find important for something much more important.

There were days when we would travel more freely. I know we'll do that again. There were also days when I poured more time and energy into this little blog of mine. I figure there will probably come a day when I'll do more of that too. I'm not sad for what I'm missing out on, because I'm so thankful for the two amazing kids we have that it's become easy to overlook what we no longer have. I'm learning, sometimes slowly, that our long term gains are going to be so much better than any short term sacrifices we have to make.

If you have a goal, you typically don't reach it right away. Working towards that goal most likely involves giving up some things here and there to reach it. You might sacrifice your time, money, or freedoms for something that you ultimately feel is worth your sacrificing in the end. Having kids, you'll sacrifice a lot of things that are near and dear to you, because you hope that the payout will be far greater. Great things don't typically develop overnight. They take time.

Raising kids feels a lot like this. We keep making sacrifices to hopefully see long term gains. You sacrifice the freedom of your day to get them their naps and keep their little brains growing & developing the way they need. You sacrifice your sleep, because they need your love & need you to nurse them through the night. You sacrifice your sanity at times, because you can't get through a day without a toddler meltdown or someone screaming over a toy that was taken from them. You sacrifice your money to keep them clothed and fed. Great things don't happen overnight, so you keep sacrificing knowing that you're doing something important.

There are so many things you sacrifice as a parent mainly because you love your kids. We make sacrifices for who and what we love.