To Give or To Teach

I've been toying with the idea of "blogging" for quite some time now. On my way home from work today I decided TODAY IS THE DAY I START MY BLOG. No real intro, no author bio, no theme...just ME. Please comment and feel free to share!

I have never thought to myself, "MY CHILDREN DESERVE A BETTER LIFE".
Because saying that they deserve a better life means that my life has been less than what i'd hoped or dreamed...and that is just plain not true. I had an awesome childhood full of family, friends, birthday parties, vacations, time-outs, groundings, punishments, etc. Of course the latter three were not my fondest memories, but you know what? Those are the three that made me who I am today. My parents were truly GOOD PARENTS and they continue to be truly GOOD PARENTS. They taught me right from wrong. They taught me the value of friendships. They instilled in me a good work ethic. They led by example. They lived their lives as GOOD PEOPLE and in doing so, raised GOOD CHILDREN. I'm not patting myself on the back here, really I am not. I know I am a good person, just as I know that each of my three siblings are inherently good people.
I am a mother now. I spend a lot of time thinking about how I can be the best mother to my children and how i can provide the very best life. And every single time i think about it, i think about how my own mother raised me. How she loved me, how she disciplined me (as if i ever needed it), how she was my cheerleader, my best friend, my devil's advocate, my hero, my saving grace.

My mother is easily, hands down THE GENUINELY NICEST PERSON i have ever known. I don't say this as a means to get my name on the first page of the will, but to acknowledge it as fact. She is. When people tell me I remind them of my mother, i get all warm inside because i know that whatever it is that she's made up of...it's in me too.

How can i make sure it's in my children?

I have to be real. Even if my "realness" is not always good. Even if my "realness" makes mistakes. Even if my "realness" hurts their feelings.

Would i lay down my life for my children? In a heartbeat.

But you know what else i would do (and have done) FOR my children?

I would buy only ONE Spiderman action figure at the store...and force them to play together, to teach them to share. (Oh, the horror!)
I would refuse them a request for a lolli pop at the bank sometimes...to teach them about special treats.
I would send them to bed without dinner for poor behavior at the dinner table...to teach them about respect.
I would turn down the offer of a sports trophy that my child "won" just because "everyone's a winner"...to teach them that it's not whether you win or lose that matters, it's how you played the game. And for crying out loud THERE IS A WINNER AND A LOSER! That's life!
I would bring them to a homeless shelter to help feed the homeless...to teach them about humanity.
I would introduce them to our local policemen and firefighters to teach them about bravery.

And most importantly...i would be right there beside them for every bit of it...to teach them about FAMILY.

I will not GIVE my children a better life...i will TEACH them how to create the best versions of themselves and live the life they desire.

That special "stuff" that my mom is made up of...she passed it on to me, and you can be damn sure that i will do everything in my power to pass it on to my children.