According to the boys, my name isn’t “Mom.” It’s “Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom…” When the kids were little, they loved showing me every bit of the progress they were making during playtime.
John Paul would call me out to the patio to show me his underwater handstands in the pool. I’d celebrate him holding the pose and his breath for 10 seconds. But, when he managed to hold the handstand for 12 seconds instead of 10, I’d hear him call, “Mom,” once again to have me witness the next level of awesome. It was the same scenario when Anthony was perfecting a magic trick or Caleb was working on mastering a video game. No win was too small. It was all mom-worthy.
Of course, it was an interruption to whatever I was working on, (usually cleaning). But honestly, I was always thankful they valued my opinion enough to want to share their progress with me. And, when they perfected what they were working on, I felt especially fortunate to have been a part of the entire process. I never once thought to myself, “Wow, I wish you hadn’t shown me the steps leading up to this.”
I think we falsely believe that being adult means not celebrating until the goal is completely realized. Especially when it comes to weight loss, we tend to have a weight number or size number in our mind. And, all progress short of that goal isn’t worth an interruption.
This weekend, I encourage you to cheer for yourself like a Mom cheers for her kid. Every win, big or small, (whether it’s saying no to a third refrigerator drive by or taking a walk around the block), call yourself out for it. Take time to witness the progress you’re making.
When you look back on your journey later, you’ll realize the true importance of these interruptions.
