One Small Step... One Great Goal.

Parenting qualifies for the toughest job, the most invisible payback, and the longest commitment in my book.

Finished in 18 years? Not a chance.

Likelihood of your children “rising up and calling you blessed?” Rare, maybe after you die.

My daughter and her family recently arrived home from a vacation.  She faced all the realities of back to school, laundry catch-up, plus the many other daily challenges they had escaped. And likely neither she or her husband will feel successful. But they are. And you, dear parent, you probably are too.  

Here’s the definition of success few parents hear:  the progressive realization of a predetermined goal.

Your goal is to raise children of character and faith.  Today’s observable, measurable progress: invisible, maybe really nonexistent. But you made progress.  And that, dear parent, is success.

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Galatians 6:9

Miriam Neff is the author of several books including From One Widow to Another: Conversations on the New You. She is also the founder of widowconnection.com.