As you can see, I have been a little MIA here on the blog.  Just about a little over a year ago, my best-friend and my children’s god-mother passed away after having to go through multiple surgeries following a head-on collision.

To me, it just feels like yesterday.

While I was mourning my friend’s passing, as a mother, I had to make sure that my kids understood what had happened and comfort them as well.

Two weeks prior to passing, she had flown in from Chicago to be with my family.  My 5-year old had a special connection with her and during my friend’s stay, she would stay up all night sitting on my friend’s back (until 1am), watching Youtube, and eating lots and lots of candy (for some reason, I was okay with it in that moment).

So when I got the news of her passing from her husband, I wasn’t sure what to do, what to say or how I should react.  I had 2 kids staring at me wondering why I wasn’t talking, standing there in dead silence and probably looking like I was lost.

After having my own moment, I wasn’t sure how to break the news to my children.  Would they understand?  How do I explain?  What should I do?

As parents, we want to protect our children in every which way, but this time, I wanted to be honest.  They saw me cry, they heard my voice tremble and they saw me in my most vulnerable moment.  Yes, in most circumstances I am a warrior, but in this moment, my kids saw that I was just like them.

I wanted them to know that it was okay to be sad, to cry, to vent and to be in the moment.

When my 5-year old asked me what was wrong, I didn’t look to a grievance book or an online community board for answers.  I just gave her an honest answer.  I explained to her that her god-mother had passed and I was very sad.  She then looked at me and said, “Mommy, it’s okay.  Now she will be our angel looking over us.  She will always be here.”  In that very moment, I was comforted by my own child and she shed a light on me.

It’s amazing how children know more than we think and in the moments of despair, they know just the right thing to say to make everything all right.  While I felt the need to comfort my children, they ended up comforting me and helping me get through it all.  Just like I wanted them to see that I could cry and vent like them, they made sure that I saw that they could in turn comfort and take care of me.

Being a parent, it’s a never-ending journey that’s filled with surprises, and moments like these, keeps me going stronger and stronger.  What are some of your most amazing moments that made you stop and think or just made you smile?  Please comment below.