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When my daughter grows up…

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How to live life hands free

When my daughter grows up, she won’t remember how many toys she had.

But she will remember if I played with her.

When my daughter grows up, she won’t remember if the kitchen was clean.

But she will remember if I ate meals with her.

When my daughter grows up, she won’t remember if I did my make-up everyday.

But she will remember if I smiled.

When my daughter grows up, she won’t remember what age she slept through the night.

But she will remember if she felt loved when I kissed her goodnight.

When my daughter grows up, she won’t remember how many books I wrote or how much money I made.

But she will remember if I prioritised my relationship with her on a daily basis.

When my daughter grows up, she won’t remember a lot of things.

But she will remember the important things.

It is my job to remember those important things now – so she can in the future.

——-

This post was inspired after reading Hands Free Life: Nine Habits for Overcoming Distraction, Living Better, and Loving More by Rachel Macy Stafford, a follow-up to her New York Bestseller Hands Free Mama: A Guide to Putting Down the Phone, Burning the To-Do List, and Letting Go of Perfection to Grasp What Really Matters! (affiliate links).  Read my review of the latter here.

I absolutely love Rachel’s books and blog as they remind me to honour my kids and live life with an open heart and open hands.  I can’t recommend them enough.

Here are some of my favourite posts by Rachel:

Children Who Shine From Within

The Loss of Life Beneath Your Skin & How to Revive It

How to Miss a Childhood

Thanks so much to Rachel for sending me a copy of her book.  I really hope you have a chance to read it.

Photograph taken by Sara from Happiness is Here

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Filed Under: Blog, Insights, Positive Parenting

About Chelsea Lee Smith

Author, certified parent educator, and mother of three with a background in Communications and Counselling, Chelsea provides resources to parents and teachers who want to incorporate personal growth into everyday moments. Follow her @momentsaday on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.

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« Review: The Heart of Education by Dara Feldman
15 Ways to Teach Kids Character through Actions Instead of Words »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sara @ Happiness is here

    September 16, 2015 at 11:48 am

    Gorgeous and so true.

    Reply
    • Chelsea Lee Smith

      September 17, 2015 at 8:30 am

      Thanks Sara, I absolutely love how your photo captured how much we adore our daughter – thank you so much 🙂

      Reply
  2. Jennifer

    September 17, 2015 at 12:12 am

    Oh, yes — needed this today. Thank you for sharing! May we all remember these words as we wake up and live another day as “mommy”. What is really important?!

    Reply
    • Chelsea Lee Smith

      September 17, 2015 at 8:31 am

      Love that. Yes, living as “mommy” – one of the most important people in our child’s world.

      Reply
  3. Hands Free Mama

    September 17, 2015 at 4:00 am

    “When my daughter grows up, she won’t remember a lot of things.

    But she will remember the important things.”

    Oh my. Tears. What a profoundly moving piece of your heart, my friend. This was just breath-taking. Thank you for keeping what matters so clearly in perspective and articulating it so beautifully. I am honored to be mentioned in this timeless piece.

    Reply
    • Chelsea Lee Smith

      September 17, 2015 at 8:32 am

      I’m honoured my poem touched you, Rachel, as your writing has truly impacted my life and decisions for the better. I’m so happy to share your work with my readers. x

      Reply
  4. kate

    September 17, 2015 at 10:33 pm

    ohhhh, your final lines are simply breathtaking!!!

    “When my daughter grows up, she won’t remember a lot of things.But she will remember the important things. It is my job to remember those important things now – so she can in the future.”

    LOVE!

    And absolutely love Hands Free Mama, she has inspired and motivated me so much to be more intentional in my mothering. Made me squeal to see your two blogs collide… would LOVE to read her book!

    Reply
    • Chelsea Lee Smith

      September 18, 2015 at 8:10 am

      Aw thanks for the sweet comment, Kate 🙂

      Reply

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  1. One Thing I’ll Never Stop Doing says:
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About the Author

Chelsea Lee Smith is an author, certified parent educator, and mother of three children with a background in Communications and Counselling. She provides resources to parents and teachers who want to incorporate personal growth into everyday moments. Browse the shop and blog categories to find practical inspiration for family life including tips, activities, printable pages, and resource recommendations.

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