IF YOUR KIDS REMEMBER ANYTHING ABOUT YOU, I HOPE IT'S THIS

I'm sure you've sat there and asked yourself what your kids will remember about you.

Like years from now. When they're away in college. When they start living on their own. When they have a family of their own. Do you think they'll remember all the good stuff? What would they tell their friends about you? What are the stories they'd tell their own kids about their grandma? The laughter? The soft moments in between all the chaos? All the stuff you hope they'll remember?

Because I think about it sometimes. Not in a sad way. Just....in that quiet way. When the house is still. When you're folding laundry and your mind starts wondering. When you're in bed reflecting on all the things you did with your kids that day.

You think about all the tiny things you hope stick. You hope they remember how you loved them, regardless of what kind of day it was. How you showed up. How you tried.

So if your kids remember anything, I hope it's this.

You Showed Up

Even when you were tired. Even when work drained you and your head was full of a million worries. You still showed up. Maybe not always perfectly, but you were there.

In the stands, at the table, on the couch, in the car, when they were happy, when they hurt. And that's what matters.

You want your kids to remember that you were there for them. Not so much because you had to, more than that was because you wanted to. Always. Being there for them meant something.

You didn't always have the right words, but they had your presence. They had your love.

You Laughed With Them

The real kind. The one that just spills out before you can stop it. The one that turns into a snort and makes everyone laugh harder.

You laughed at silly things, random things, nothing things. You just let yourself laugh.

You want your kids to remember that. That laughter lived in your house. That even when life was challenging, there were so many moments when they saw you smile and life that reminded you of all the good things that were going for you.

That your laughter kept things soft. Kept their hearts full. And they get older, that's one thing that they'll miss the most. That sound. Your laugh.

You Were Real With Them

You didn't fake perfect. You cried sometimes. You got mad. You said sorry. You let them see that adults get scared too. You didn't hide it behind "I'm fine".

You want your kids to remember that you were human. That you didn't try to be untouchable. That being real didn't make you weak. It just makes you honest.

And when they become adults themselves, and whenever they feel a bit lost or unsure with life, they'll think back and remember that you too had bad days, but it didn't slow you down. You kept going. That's such a permanent lesson that they carry through their lives.

You Had Their Back

Always. Even when they messed up. Even when you had to be tough on them. Even when they drove you up the wall. You stood by the. You defended them. You were their safe place

You want them to remember that you were always there for them, no matter what. That you were on their side. On their team. Even if sometimes you were disappointed or frustrated. Because loving them didn't come with a caveat. You didn't have to agree with them, but you stood in their corner anyway.

You Listened To Them

You really listened. Even when the story was long or didn't make sense. You tried to be present. You didn't always fix it, but you heard them.

You made them feel heard. And seen.

That's what you hope they carry with them. That sense that their voice matters. Because one day they'll need that same skill. They'll need to know how to listen with patience and love.

And it starts with how you listened to them.

You Taught Them About Money, But More About Life

You taught them that money helps, sure, but it's not everything.

You showed them that generosity and gratitude stretch further than a paycheck. You made things work, even when it was tight. You made 'enough' feel like abundance.

You want them to remember that wealth isn't always in the wallet. Sometimes it's in the moments. The laughter. The experiences. That way you made home feel safe even when times were tough.

You Gave Them Room To Grow

You didn't hover. You didn't fix every problem. You stood close enough to catch them if it really went bad, but far enough to let them figure it out.

And that's not easy.

It's hard watching them try, fail, get frustrated, but try again anyway. But you did it. You want them to remember that you had so much trust and faith in them. That you believed in who they were becoming. That your love wasn't about control. It was about faith.

You didn't want to keep them small. You wanted them to be free.

You Created Small Traditions

The easy kind. The unplanned kind. The "we just always do this" kind. Pancakes. Movie nights. Walks after dinner. Early morning cuddles. Dancing in the kitchen.

You really want your kids to know and remember those moments. That they were special. That those were the best parts. The pieces of childhood that made things feel right.

You didn't need perfect holidays. You just needed each other.

You Celebrated Them

You didn't wait for perfect grades or trophies. You clapped for the tries. The effort. The courage. You showed them that you are proud of them for just showing up, not just for winning.

You want your kids to remember that for you, success isn't always about the end result. It's about having heart. It's about the journey your kids took getting to the finish line. About persistence. About resilience. About being proud of yourself even when things don't go the way you planned it.

You Held Their Hands

That's the thing that comes to mind a lot, right? You always did. You held their hands when they were scared. When they didn't know what was coming next. The first day of school. Hospital visits. Heartbreaks you couldn't fix. You didn't have the right words most of the time, but you stayed. You were there.

You just hope they remember that. The staying. The part of love that doesn't need to talk. You didn't fix everything. You couldn't. But you didn't leave either. You just kept holding on until it passed.

You want them to remember that kind of love.

You Forgave

You forgave easily. You never ever held things over their heads. You didn't make them earn love back. You taught them what grace looks like. And you also forgave yourself. Because you knew they were watching.

You want them to remember that everyone messes up. You did. They will. It just is. But what matters most is what you do after.

The learning. The trying again. The choosing love even when things got messy. You want them to see that forgiveness isn't weakness. And holding on to anger just makes everything heavy. And letting go makes space for love to stay.

You Found Happiness In The Ordinary

You didn't wait for the perfect day or some big milestone to feel happy. You noticed the small stuff. The smell of rain. The silliness of your kids. The hug you'd receive out of nowhere. Even the rock your kid picked up as a gift for you that you still keep. Those small things that'll light you up.

You hope your kids remember that about you. That you found little bits of joy in the simplest of things. You even laughed on days that didn't really deserve laughter. You still looked for light when things were heavy.

That's what you want them to carry. That joy isn't something you chase. It's something you notice. And that's what you did.

You Loved Loudly

You didn't keep it to yourself. You said it. Over and over. You hugged them tight, kissed their foreheads, sent those little "love you" texts out of nowhere. Even after arguments. Even when the air felt tense. You still showed up with love anyway.

You never made them guess or wonder if they were loved. They just knew.

You Taught Them To Be Kind, But Not A Pushover

That mattered to you. You didn't want them to think being kind meant saying yes to everything or being quiet when something felt wrong.

You wanted them to have a mix, a soft heart with a steady spine. You told them it's okay to walk away. To stand up for themselves.

You showed them what that looks like. The times you spoke up even when it felt uncomfortable. The times you set boundaries and didn't apologize for it. You wanted them to know that being kind to other people starts with being kind to yourself.

You showed your kids what kind but strong really looks like. And you hope your kids remember that about you.

You Believed In Them

From the very start. Before they even saw what you saw. You just knew.

You told them they could do hard things. You said it a lot. Probably more than they wanted to hear. Because you meant it. You didn't always know how to fix things for them, but you believed that they'd figure it out.

You reminded them that failing isn't the end. It just means you try again.

And you hope that one day, when life feels heavy, they'll hear your voice saying it again. "You can do this".

And you hope they carry that voice with them. The voice that tells them, "You've got this". Because someday, that's the voice that might be what keeps them going.

And that's what you hope, when they think of you. Not so much about what you bought or what you got right. You hope it's about how you made them feel.

That they remember your laugh. Your voice. Your kindness. The way you showed up. The way you kept loving them. Over and over again, in a hundred different small ways.

If your kids remember anything about you, you hope it's that.

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