Hello ladies, I have been listening since the very first episode. It has been a joy to listen to the podcast all these years. I have learned so much from y’all and been encouraged by each of you abundantly. First off, I know people give y’all grief about being in different seasons of life and not being the exact same as you once were, but it has been extremely helpful to me to see y’all navigate different seasons of life. It has given me permission and freedom that not every season or year has to look the same for me. I’m the type of person that naturally feels obligated to keep doing the exact same things because that’s who “I am”, but watching y’all morph and change things up as needed/hone different aspects of your personality has been extremely helpful for me. Secondly, y’all were talking about that the years can go by extremely fast even if you hold your babies so close. I can first hand attest to that statement. During y’all’s first season I was 25 and pregnant with my first baby and in two weeks from now it will be my third daughter’s first birthday. I am a stay at home mother/homemaker/about to be a 2nd generation homeschooler and have been with my children literally every day of their life give or take four or five days. I’ve been there for every first, illness, teaching about gardening, playing with our chickens, funny one liners, reading books, cuddles, rocking, and nursing them to sleep, the list goes on and on, but I somehow still feel like I’ve missed so much… Even though I was there for almost every single thing and literally thought from day one to soak it up and just breathe them in the time has still flown by at lightning speed. My heart already aches sometimes looking at my sweet five year-old, three year-old and nearly one year-old and think how fast it’s already gone and how in a blink of an eye they’ll be 10 then 16 then 18 and beyond… Time is such a tricky thing. While I am so grateful my children are healthy and growing older, so much of me wants to freeze time and to never know a day without kissing my sweet chubby babies cheeks. Sometimes I am terrified to shut my eyes in fear that when I open them I’ll be looking at their Daddy dancing with them at their wedding and not open them to current time of them twirling around outside or chasing the chickens… So yes, you can hold your babies so tight and soak up every moment, but unfortunately time doesn’t stand still, and it still passes us by even if we were totally in the moment and aware of it. I’m thankful for each of you and your wisdom and the joy you bring to us in all your forms of content. The Lord has truly used you and I pray this next year is filled with Joy in Him with your sweet families.
Your sister in Christ,
Mary-Madeline Hudson
