What can be said about parenthood? Parenthood will fill you with more love than you ever thought was possible. It can take the life right from your soul the first time your precious little love is sick, sad, or disobedient. Parenthood is a fantastic rollercoaster of joys and struggles.

You Will Never Know a Greater Love

The job isn't easy, but being a parent pays with a love greater than any other. It's almost impossible to understand unless you are a parent.

There will be days when you feel defeated. You may even have a moment when you second guess your decision to have a child, but it won't last. The instant you look into your child's eyes or hold that little love at the end of the day, all your worries and suffering will melt. You will become enveloped in the parent/child love that is second to none. 

Watching Your Child Thrive

One of the greatest joys in life as a parent is watching your child shine. Parent pride looks?and feels?great. Parents beam when their baby meets all developmental milestones. Mom/Dad may shine when a total stranger compliments some fantastic aspect of your sweet angel. From birth to adulthood, witnessing your child do well in this world is pure bliss for a parent. 

It's Like Wearing Your Heart on Your Sleeve

All the time, energy, and love you invest in your child cannot protect them from the world. Despite your best efforts to prepare your baby, he/she will get hurt.

 Seeing your child hurt can be excruciating. When your child suffers, you suffer double-time. Parenthood is like wearing your heart on your sleeve. That vulnerable life-line is right out there where anyone and everyone can take a stab whenever they want, and there is no way to fully protect it.

You Never Really Know What You'll Get

This might sound superficial, but it's honest. I don't know anyone who plans for parenthood and thinks, "I hope I have a child with a life impeding disability," or, "I hope my child never follows my advice and chooses a path of self-destruction and drug addiction." That just isn't why we choose to be parents.

Unfortunately, these decisions are not up to the us. We may try our best to teach our kids right from wrong but in the end, it will be their own decision to follow?or not follow?our teachings. These are realities a parent must face. You may try hard to guide best outcomes, but that might be beyond your control. It is, however, within a parent's control to make the most of their situation.

As parents we have free license to make this world any shade of amazing we can. Parenthood is phenomenal. Joys and struggles aside, it is, without doubt, worth every bit of arduous work and personal investment.