Treading water is just about the best description of motherhood and the stage we’re in right now. I love when Jim Gaffigan jokes about having four kids. “You know what it’s like having a fourth kid? Imagine you’re drowning, then someone hands you a baby.” We used that line over and over again…until we had five kids! And although we laughed about it – it was all too true.
I came across this quote recently and it touched my heart.
It spoke to me. Probably because of my stage of life but partly because it speaks truth. Yes, treading water is a necessary part of swimming, but it doesn’t get you anywhere. What it does is buys you time and energy until you can continue swimming. The hard part is we start treading water and we never seem to stop. And all the while we start getting frustrated that we’re treading at all and then we start to swallow water. Perhaps the question starts to cross your mind, “Why did I even jump in?!” Or you question if you even know how to swim.
We forget. We know how to swim. We love to swim. But swimming in waves has its challenges, so we tread. Luckily, waves change. Treading water today, this week, or this month doesn’t mean we won’t be able to swim soon. And it’s once we start swimming that we’re reminded just how much we truly love it.
