Obviously, it goes without saying that being a wife and a mother to three incredible children has provided many of the most memorable highlights of my life. I’m also a grandmother to five adorable grandchildren. Muck like my mother before me, I’ve tried to embrace the various stages of my life with some degree of finesse, along with a good dose of laughter…often at myself!
I’m also a nurse by profession, who has cared for new moms and newborns for a number of years. I’ve come to realize that there always seems to be more than an ample amount of literature available, maybe even an overabundance, to help young parents forge ahead as they raise their families. And believe me, these couples come to the hospital well read, sometimes to the point that their common sense is overshadowed by the steady influx of information! From my mind’s eye however, the opposite seems to be true for those of us with grown children, either on their own or married–empty nesters, if you will! Nonetheless, we are still parents! Then throw in the various personalities of in-laws and grandchildren to the family mix, and we can only truly marvel at level of patience that our parents before us seemed to exhibit so effortlessly as they embraced this stage of their lives! To be sure, it’s always a balancing act to be re-engineered and fine-tuned at any given moment.
It seems that one crazy dicotomy of life is that despite our best efforts, parents sometimes have to watch their children face some unnecessary tough knocks…I mean really, why can’t they just listen to us! Then I remember that I was certainly no exception to this fact! As a child, it’s often hard to recall that exact flash of time where feelings of adoration for our parents changed to sheepish glances of worry at what they would do next to embarrass us! As we know however, those worries were usually never fully realized. Rather, it was mostly just youthful angst! Thank goodness most of us mature and allow our parents the honor of regaining elite status in our lives again!! As our roles of being sons and daughters is highlighted more, I sincerely hope that the lessons taught and learning experiences provided for us by our parents will generate what my husband calls “head smacker” moments, where ultimately we add a deeper, more understanding dimension to our lives!
(One minor disclaimer: I realize age is a rather subjective topic, believe me I know! But I think it’s human nature, and perhaps rightfully so, to assume that we look and act younger than our parents did at the same age! I’m sure our children feel the same way about us! With that in mind, it’s fair to say that no matter the age of the parent or the child, great lessons can be taught and learned!)
Whatever our stage in life, here’s to making the best of it!
–Mary J. Wilding
I also want to take a moment and dedicate this website to my wonderful children. I love being their mother! They are amazing people! I consider them my dearest friends, and I’m so glad that they are great friends with each other! (A mother’s greatest wish come true!) We have often laughed over stories about their grandparents! They were also there to love and support me through some tough times after their deaths! Mostly, I am inspired to be a better person when I am around them! I am in awe of all they are accomplishing in their lives! I love their spouses and the unique dynamic each brings to our extended family! I adore being a grandma to sweet Makena, Marli, Violet, Maylan and Elliot! “My cup runneth over!”
I would also be remiss if I did not thank my darling daughter-in-law, Whitney Wilding, for her patience, help and “tech savvy” in getting this website up and running! Her thoughtful consideration of how important this project is to me is appreciated more than words can ever convey!