I am ready to give up my life for my kids, do anything for those little sweet terrors, except they know one thing: DO NOT EAT MAMA’S MANGOES! The poor kids watch as they eat their measly strawberries or apples, while I slurp up the juices off my mango peels. Beady little eyes watching me as I cut into the fresh new ripe mango, gleefully screaming in anticipation of getting to join in, “MANGO MANGO MANGO!” I smile at them knowing I will be very unwilling to share it with them! 

Spoiler alert: FINE! I share the mango with them, but I really then eat two more on my own when they go to sleep!

It is just insane how much a parent has to give up when they have kids! I have given these kids my blood, my body, all my iron stores, my sleep, my privacy while I sit on the toilet, my sanity, all my sunglasses, each bite they ask for from my ramen, so what is really mine?! In my mind, it is mangoes but we all know they get that too. It is so important though to remember to not give up yourself while parenting, or really at any stage of life. You can give up the mangoes (FINE) but you have to keep a hold onto something precious in your life-YOU.

Even before parenthood, I lost myself. Growing up, there were a few stickers that I had on my door with some cute phrases like “Always put a smile on someone’s face today” that I would look at every morning when I woke up and before bed as I lay down to sleep. I tried to strive to do just that throughout my life. But I think in that quest to always keeping others happy, I lost track of the one person that truly needed a smile on her face-me. I realize that now, as parenting has really kept me close to my inner child. We all start out so innocent and happy, yet life can make us jaded. It is so important to keep a grasp on our inner child within us as we journey through life. It is that inner child that really has the best outlook on life.

Alternatively, giving up mangoes to the kids can also bring up another point. Parenthood is a game of give give give, right?! I believe though, as we give, we also receive. Every interaction in life involves giving a bit of ourselves, our experience, our humor, our virtue. In turn, the person we are interacting with does the same. Not only in parenthood, but in life in general. From our kids, from our colleagues, from our family, from our friends, from that stranger who is sitting next to us on the metro, we can give and receive even a few minutes of gratitude and peace. My kids teach me new things every day just from their innocent questions (SO MANY QUESTIONS!) to the rules of Uno. They bring up great points, like why are mama and papa on their phone when screen time is over after the 2 Bluey’s we watch at night. We rush through life most of the time, without ever stopping and realizing that just one moment is all that it takes to bring sunshine onto this earth. It doesn’t take much time to spread joy and give your flowers to the people around you. But take that moment and hand out flowers in life, while also taking in those flowers from others around you and relishing in the scent of life.

I pledge to continue to share mangoes with the kids and even just a few moments with those around me at work, home, and life in general in order to bring some relief to daily struggles of life. I also pledge in that pathway of ‘sharing is caring’ with the world, to also not give up on one thing for the happiness of others-myself. An example of this would be prior to putting on the oxygen mask on your children, you should put your mask on yourself first. It is important to remember that we need to the whole version of ourselves in order to allow for our kids to learn and thrive themselves.

Comment below and tell me the one thing (besides yourself!) that you don’t want to share with the kids!