To My Future Children

Another Christmas has come and gone, and what a beautiful time it has been to spend time with all of your loved and hopefully your family. Family is truly what makes the holidays such a wonderful time. It allows us to slow down in whatever is going on in our lives and actually spend quality time with those that we call "Mom", "Dad", etc. These past few weeks I've thought more and more about family and what it means. During the holidays in the Catholic faith we not only celebrate the Birth of Jesus our Savior but we also celebrate the Holy Family, Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus. During mass this past Sunday, the priest mentioned something that left me looking more deeply into the meaning of family. He mentioned that beyond any job or career that we choose, we are untimely called to be good Mothers, Fathers, Brothers, Sisters, etc. It sounds so simple yet within our own families we sometimes struggle the most to show our brotherly love. The brotherly love that God has asks of us to "Love one another as we love ourselves".

In my personal life I have strived to be a good daughter, sister, and friend. Of course with many times that I have failed to do my simple job. Over the year however, I  have come to realize and it has actually helped me to see my family differently and appreciate them more, and love them more is the fact that they are not mine. Sounds a little crazy but it is true. My family is not my own, they belong to God. He has let me borrow them. He let me borrow these people I call mom, dad, brothers, and sisters, and a few friends to take care of them for him. To help them and guide them closer to him. One is not born out of thin air. You may not know me but if we have anything in common it is that, that we have people we are called to take care of. I know things are not always great with our parents or siblings, but we must to our best to not turn our backs on them. We have to consider that maybe your own parents did not have a good childhood, and that they need you to show them the love they did not receive. As children we can also teach our parents and vice versa learn from our parents. We are born with this roles to play, yet there is no exact script to follow. This job is learned through getting closer to God and also by looking at the Holy Family as an example.

As my family prepares for our second niece from my oldest sister, I have come to contemplate my own future family. One that is non-existent at the moment, one that if it God's will for me to have, I will. We are not taught how to be a Mother, or a Father. The priest this past Sunday also mentioned that it is easier for a man to become a father, than for a child to have a real father. I must agree, I feel that as a society we treat the amazing gift of birth like it is some ordinary. I am still astounded by the fact that women can create life right within their own bodies. As someone that has never had a child of their own I can only imagine the incredible bond that is created as your body creates a baby. I have heard many stories of the heartaches that mother's go through for their children, because a mother can only do so much for their children until the child begins to make their own decisions. I have come to realize that now matter how good of a mother one is, one cannot control their children's choices or make them for them. So I have begun to pray for my children. I look at the Holy Family and hope to the be the Mother that God wants me to be for my children. I know the roles we are called to play are not easy, and we must pray that we do them the best of our abilities. I encourage those that have children and those that do not yet to pray for your children because they will one day grow and make their own choices. Also, do not forget we are a children also and must care for our parents and pray for them too.

Feeling very inspired I have also wrote a little prayer for my future children.

Prayer for my Future Children

Dear unborn child of mine, If God wills it one day I will be your Mother here on earth
I can only imagine your eyes upon mine as we see each other for the first time
I only hope to be like Mary that stood by her son Jesus through all of his life here and after
I anticipate to teach you so much the most important lessons being to love and to forgive
I can only imagine all of the laughs and times of joy we will share
I am praying for you already because I know this world can be cruel but it is also beautiful
I hope you are a healthy, happy child and find the purpose God has brought you into this world for
I also pray that you are given a good Father to show you the many things that I cannot like Joseph did for Jesus
I anticipate the day when I can give you all of my love, as for now I will share it with those around me, but know that a loving mother awaits to hold you in her arms one day.
May your guardian angel protect you and take care of you always.

With all of my love, Diana M.