GO AWAY--Guest Blogger--Jacky Huberts

Back in my Trinity Western University days (when I worked there), I had a whole community of co-workers. They became family. Even after leaving my position there, I still keep close ties to as many of them as I can. Last week I introduced you to one of my old Trinity friends. Today is another. Jacky Huberts. Oh the stories I could tell--the most tortuous being the day our co-worker Dave Heidebrecht and our boss Marty Penninga pulled the wool over my eyes when Jacky went on her honeymoon. But I'll save that for another day. When I can get even. Today is a long-awaited piece from Jacky about motherhood.

GO AWAY--By Jacky Huberts

I’ve learned the most interesting things about myself since becoming a parent. I can actually be a morning person when I put my mind to it. I can multitask better than I thought possible. I can live on less sleep than I thought (although I don’t prefer it. I can cook. Who knew?

There are other things though, that I’ve learned about myself that are not so great. My kids have started to repeat certain things that I say.

My older son told me the other day, “Go away Mom. That’s what you tell me to do sometimes.”

I cringed. Go away. I never realized how often I said that to my boys, until the day he told me that.

Since becoming a parent, I can’t do anything without an audience anymore. Every move I make, I have a little shadow following me. My least favourite place that they follow me to is the bathroom. No mother can go pee in peace anymore. Why is that? What is so intriguing about it? No matter what the reason, they follow me.

Kids are also very good at mooching. Maybe it’s because I have boys, I don’t know. There is not a time during the day that I can sit down and eat something on my own. As soon as I sit, there they are, like little predators ready to pounce on their prey. You’d think I never feed them. No wonder mothers resort to hiding snacks for themselves and gorging on them when no one is around.

These moments have created the famous two words to come out of my mouth numerous times. Go Away! They’re not pleasant, but they get the job done. A mother deserves peace every once in a while, right?

I got to thinking one day though. Who else do I say this to? My husband? My annoying friend? Worse yet, do I say this to God? The answer for me is yes.

Go away; I don’t want to argue with you anymore.

Go away; I don’t want to hear about your problems.

Go away, I know what You are calling me to do, I just don’t want to hear it.

Saying these words to my kids has taught me a lot. These two words are ugly and they hurt.

These two words need to go away.