Gratitude

In this month of gratitude, it's time to raise up our family. Our whole family. Not just those that we live with. It's hard to be a mom, a stay at home mom, a working mom, or a stay at home working mom. And a dad, stay at home dad, or working dad.

Unlike others, I get to work with all of those parents. And, often they're family or friends. But, sometimes they're new parents I've never met looking to do the best for their baby or themselves. Other times they're not parents at all, rather, a tremendous sounding board for ideas. It takes a village. I'm Sarah Shoemaker, founder of Hummingbird Infant, and for this village I'm grateful today. 

I'm thankful for you Kathleen, as my sister, and most underpaid, overqualified sample maker, creative product solver and expert seamstress, production, and partner in this crazy little thing we call FUN! Reducing stress for infants and parents one stitch at a time for us at Hummingbird Infant.

Melissa and Jessica as my nieces, mamas in the know, social media sisters, photographers, and 'do-whatever-it-takes-ers'. I thank you. Kendall, your logo work and layouts for our marketing material are true art. In addition to your other full time jobs you give it your all for Hummingbird Infant. Thank you.

Randy, my better half who built the website, is my sounding board, answers my technical questions with all of the patience he can muster (I'm technically stupid...technically:)) and is SO supportive cheering any small success we have at Hummingbird Infant. I appreciate you greatly. It isn't lost on me how lucky I am to be married to Mr. Incredible.

Then, there is the rest of our family, friends and babies always willing to pitch in, let us video bath time, offer up their photos and parenting expertise. Gratitude.

And, my own kiddos. Someday I'll laugh as hard as my kids are here, as I watch you try to master this moving target called parenting! For now, I'm just doing the best I can. And you're doing awesome. I love you everyday, always, forever, no matter what.

Gratitude. Sometimes life isn't roses. Life doesn't look like our social media. There is illness. An accident. Kids aren't behaving appropriately. We are in the middle of Target when kids aren't behaving appropriately. Patience wears thin. People disappoint us. We're tired. People we love don't hold up to the bar we've set. Or worse, we don't live up to the bar we've set for ourselves. Thankfully, not only my family, but my friends love me anyway.

Life is all about momentum. And that momentum can feel like it is pushing us in either direction. Gratitude for the ability to focus on the right things. I love the words of Vyana Novus-Magee, "Success is a moment by moment celebration of every small task accomplished." I just ordered her journal experience Redefining Success and looking forward to continuing life's journey with my chin held high, using God's gifts as I find them, determined to maintain momentum in a positive light in my own life and those around me. I will fail. I will try again. And, my friends and family will love me anyway. 

Thank you all!!  Grateful for family and friends to share the journey. Life's not perfect, but with a little laughter, focusing on what we do right and forgiving and moving on from the wrongs, we can all hold a bit more gratitude.  

So to all of you moms, dads, parenting partners, single parents, parents who had to try a little harder to become one, foster parents, birth parents, adoptive parents, working parents, people trying to become parents. I've been a lot, but not all of the above. Know this. Feel this. You are enough.

Gratitude. Silver linings. Move forward. Momentum. Family. Work. Thank you.

Sarah is a birth mom, adoptive mom, wife, working mom and optimist. She is the founder of Hummingbird Infant. Sign up for our free confidence-boosting weekly Baby Buzz email for insights to help you in your parenting journey.