Maybe our house is unique, but it seems like a good portion of our yearly stress hits in November and December. Cooking, cleaning, entertaining, end of semester testing for our daughter, church and social obligations and a pile of other to-do’s means the period from Thanksgiving to the New Year is basically a blur. As mom/teacher, the end of the year is also when I have what I call my annual “panic attack”. I understand real panic attacks are a serious medical condition that call for medical attention. Although, my episodes probably don’t qualify as a classic panic attack, they are still very stressful.
I find myself questioning everything I have or have not done for my daughter. As she is in her junior year of high school, the questions seem to take on an even more serious tone. Did we choose the best subjects to study? Is she keeping up with students in other school environments? Is she developing a strong personal relationship with God? Do I push her too hard? Should she have more down time? More friends? Less friends? Different friends? The questions can go on for hours.
I suspect most parents go through a similar thought process from time to time. We second guess our decisions, from what we fed them as babies to what advice we did or did not give them.
I find when I get in one of these questioning modes, it helps if I remember God loves me and my daughter. He has a plan for us and knows what is best for us. The only responsibility we have is to have a relationship with Him and seek out His will for our lives. My primary responsibility as a parent is to help her develop her own personal relationship with God. I realize he can make lemonade out of any lemons I may accidentally put in her life.
When I pray and dedicate my daughter to the Lord, the pressure lessens. Am I still concerned? Of course. I expect it is a natural part of parenting. Ultimately though, she is the Lord’s and I need to train her to follow His path for her. Everything else will just fall in to place.