Principal's Welcome - Week 3, Term 2, 2021

Dear College families,
I was reminded the other day that being a mum or parenting in general is a marathon. What prompted this thought was the simple realisation that the College Mother’s Day event is such a vastly different experience for me than it was even 3 or 4 years ago. Gone are the days where my children were dependent on me to order them a special breakfast at the College Mother’s Day celebration or where they excitedly invited me to wander through their classrooms so they could proudly show me their bookwork.
Naturally, Mother’s Day activities have changed as my children have got older, as have their needs and the nature of our conversations. What hasn't changed though, is their need for me and my concern for them. Parenting is this privilege that is entrusted to us well beyond the 18 pre-adult years. Parenting will concern us and occupy us for many years to come. My mum still faithfully prays for me, calls me, visits me and tells me what I should be doing differently to look after myself. And although I am a mother myself, I still need her listening ear, wisdom and encouragement in my life.
To all of our College mums, dads and carers, I want to provide encouragement for those moments when you feel exhausted by the marathon or overwhelmed by the needs of your children. Whether you’re instructing a toddler for the 100th time not to touch the power point or grappling with teenage angst, remember that you too have a Father who is concerned with your personal needs. Often, and especially in those difficult parenting moments, we don't see ourselves as children but in our eternal Father's eyes, that is exactly what we are. And I take great comfort from knowing that whilst my love for our children is not perfect, God's love for me is perfect and therefore, His love for my children is perfect. In fact, there is nothing that can stop His love for us.
Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Happy Mother's Day!
Felicity Marlow
Principal