I haven't written a blog in so long so I felt that Mother's Day is a good enough excuse to get back at it!
This morning at 4AM as I was trying to fall back asleep (hello pregnancy late night cravings), I was pondering Mother's Day. I just couldn't help but feel like my heart was so full on this Mother's Day.
You see, we always talk about honoring and celebrating moms on this day, which absolutely we should! But I can't think about celebrating us without celebrating the people who made us mothers! My sweet babies and my handsome husband. They are the ones who gave me the honor of being called mama!
Without them there would be no reason to celebrate me. There would be no ultrasound pictures, no kicks in the belly, no expectation. There would be no birth story, there would be no adoption story, there would be no thousands of pictures and hours of video. There would be no mommy badges of honor for me. No "you made it through the first year!" badge, no "you are still half way sane" badge. No "congratulations you have changed 1.3 billion diapers" badge, and certainly no "wow you CAN physically exist with zero sleep" badge.
My title would be much shorter. Before, my titles may have been: "wife, follower of Christ, daughter, friend, sister, teacher".
Now I need a whole book to write my title. It might include all the above but add: Mama, nurse, chef & dietitian, referee, playmate, walking encyclopedia (why? why?), chauffeur, cheerleader, housekeeper, and so many more.
I'll just say it boldly, without those two little stinkers and one on the way, I wouldn't be half the woman I am.
And I can't forget the man who helped me become a mother. The one who has figured out how to love me how I need him to, who consistently cheers me on, steps in when I just can't do it anymore, is my partner in this hard thing we call parenting. Who encourages me to grow more and more and to become a better mother. Who has surprised me and came into his own as well as a daddy. I couldn't think of anything or anyone better that the Lord gave me to do this thing.
It is a crazy thing, this being a mom or a dad. Sure it makes us crazier than we would be. We are missing some brain cells and beginning to get (gasp!) gray hairs. But being parents has caused us to grow and mature more than I could imagine. Helped us to be unselfish and learn to love fully and completely and unconditionally. Allowed us to grow closer to one another.
It is in becoming a parent that we have come into our own. It is here that we shine.
And that's what celebrating Mother's Day is about.
Remembering what our mothers did for us, but also giving credit where credit is due. Because these boys of mine are simply amazing. And being their mama has been the most wonderful gift I could receive.
So here's to all the mothers! And here's to the little ones who made them mothers.
