Selfishness Detox

Selfishness Detoxification.

I never thought of myself as a selfish person.
Until I had kids.

Children teach things to us parents. Like how to give everything to another person. A sacrifice that is natural, sweet, and at times, damn hard.

It began with Pregnancy:

Sharing my body with another human being. Sharing my nutrients, energy, and figure to create a cozy home and healthy body for your little one. Amazingly beautiful, kinda weird, and pretty doable. At least until a healthy dose of nausea, hormones, and sleep deprivation set in.

(P.S. The physical symptoms of drug/alcohol detox... ie: headaches, vomiting, perspiration, confusion, agitation, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, cramping, nausea... are so oddly similar to symptoms of pregnancy.)

The Child. "The Reason":

Our children. Beautiful. Intoxicating smells. Radiant innocence. Complete reliance. Pure love. Ours. Unique, gorgeous little people. Growing. Learning. Changing and becoming. Really cool to experience. So much happiness. So much love.

Parenting. "The Detox:"

I just didn't know.

Like a person experiencing detox from chemical dependencies...

"Detox is necessary for a person to achieve a (drug or) alcohol free and non-dependent state and begin the successful road to a long-term recovery. " MedicalDetox.org

"Most recoveries begin with detoxification. This process clears the body of the toxins accumulated during the period of drug use and provides a physical 'clean slate.' Once the physical addiction has been addressed, mental and emotional healing...and the reprogramming and relearning process can begin ." MedicalDetox.org

Parenting does it to you.

I believe the last five years of parenting have been my detox.
The cure probably takes a lifetime of experience.
But detox is over.
I finally feel like a clean slate.
Thank you kids.