I am grateful to be a mom. I remember the Mothers Day after I had a miscarriage and was awaiting to become pregnant again, awaiting to become a mom. We were out for lunch as an extended family and all the moms received a plant. There I was with empty hands and empty arms. That Mothers Day had a sting.
My Children are beautiful. I am a mom of three. These are words I never hoped for before they came true. Now I hold those words like treasures. Mom of three. My children. My legacy. Some of my very best teachers. These children are mirrors. These children are blessings. These children are gifts. Today I am grateful for my eldest daughters’ mothers day notes – written all by herself. My daughter who reflects my own perfectionist struggles, but who shines with generosity, compassion and tremendous ability to be mindful of the beauty around her and to be able to create tremendous beauty in action and in art. My son who is hardworking, usually smiling, easy to please, strong, determined and patient…and oh so handsome – a miniature of his father. (Just don’t let him get hangry!) My youngest daughter who is tender and feisty and all kinds of passionate. She is something new to me, who is a delight to learn together with.
My own mother was just out for a visit. I am so grateful to be her daughter and to have my mom. 5 years ago on Mothers Day we packed up our 2 year old daughter drove 13 hours straight to have Mothers Day with my acutely ill mom. Gratitude pours in when I contemplate how thankful I am to still have my mom in my life. Indeed she will live in and through me forever, but to have her hands scrubbing my deck so we can enjoy the outdoors together, to have her sit across from me at a lunch out as an early Mothers Day celebration — these are sweet gifts. I was asked at church to share why I love my mom. Let me share here what I said. I appreciate my mom for all she has taught me. She has taught me simple mom-like things like when driving only back up as far as you have to, it’s safer to drive forwards. She’s taught me how to make traditional and favorite foods like cottage cheese perogies, peppernuts, sugar cookies. She’s taught me to love seniors and value their importance in our society and our families. Most of all she’s taught me to trust God. She has shown me firsthand how to proclaim “it will be okay” even in a critical health crisis. Oh how that was such a valuable lesson for me to have learned and to draw upon when my own health crisis emerged!
I’m grateful to have a mother-in-law who treasures her grandchildren SO much, who would do anything to support us in raising them, who gives and gives and gives and then digs deeper and gives some more. She is fun grandma. She is grandma who feeds us weekly and sends us home with home-baked bread and cookies. She helps us thrive as a family.
This is a BIG day (just asks my husband who has learned the importance to me of acknowledging the occasion). It carries a weight (for some it carries a very painful weight). Mothering is the most difficult endeavor. For each of us the difficulty comes in different seasons and different measures and from different angles – but it is universal. Many times motherhood drives us women close to the brink of craziness while other times these sometimes monsters sometimes delightful children, fill our hearts with a throbbing love, putting a joyous pulse in our veins….which makes us feel even crazier to love these little monsters so much that it makes our gut and souls want to burst. This is motherhood. The good the bad the ugly the brilliant!
And to be appreciated, to be acknowledged in the midst of this turmoil — it means so much. So here I raise a toast, “to moms! to every woman on the journey of motherhood, whatever your journey looks like!” Clink. Clink. Cheers!
Happy Mother’s Day
XOXO
