Hello, Kansas City! What an honor to come alongside you in this parenting adventure! The Kansas City community and KC Parent itself have shaped who we are as a family; I am humbled to influence its pages. I have often wrapped my trip to the grocery store by making sure to snag myself the latest magazine from Family Media Group—the cheerful cover beckoning to me, its writers speaking to my struggles, encouraging me in the trenches, and its activities calling us out of the mundane.
My husband and I still laugh about bringing home our first child and wondering what to do next. At each new stage of our parenting journey, I became acutely aware that to navigate well, I needed the insight of others to help me think through things known and as yet unknown. We’ve seen many stages to date, and many more are sure to come with our five kids ranging in age from 20 to 10.
I find myself reflecting often on the adage, “The days are long, but the years are short.” Could this ring any more true than in the arena of parenting? I mean, when kids are inconsolable, when you’re trying to teach a concept that just doesn’t stick or when answers are out of reach, could the days seem any longer?! And yet, we lean into the next thing and keep going. I hope the team at KC Parent has helped you keep going, too. My heart on this journey is that you know you’re never alone. That we can learn and grow together. That when you get to a place of assessing that the years suddenly did get short, you also are proud of the learning and growing you’ve done as well as the humans you’ve shaped and the family you’ve created.
Here we go! It’s time for the rhythm of fall. Together let’s embrace the days to create the legacy of years.
Enjoy your fall, Kansas City!