Happy Mother's Day

When I was an infant, I relied on my mother. As a small child, I loved my mother. When I became a teenager, I hated my mother. As I grew up in my 20s, I questioned my mother. As I became a mother, I seeked out my mother. And now that I am a mother, I appreciate my mother more then ever. With all her imperfections, bountifully flawed, I choose to only recall the good. She, despite the bad, has helped me become the person, the woman I am today.

Her actions as a mom, both positive and negative, taught me resilience and strength. Power of faith and of ones own resolve. I was not the perfect child, I rebelled in ways that people would be surprised to know. Nevertheless, I came out the other side, stronger, wiser, full of empathy and love. These lessons I bring into my parenting.

Now with three kids of my own, I try to do better. There are days as a mom I feel defeated and question my "mom skills". I wonder if I am doing any of it right.  I've learned that only a good mom would ask herself that because it means we care about our kids, that they matter. When I find myself saying "oh, that mom makes it look so easy." I recall a Ms. Sallie, when i told her, "I just don't want to mess them up." and she simply replied "Oh honey, you are going to one way or another. We can't be perfect." Motherhood comes with no book all though there are a million that will tell us one way or another how to be with our kids. In the end, we all write our own books. So I just do the best I can.

I'm taking the time to know my kids as individuals and am allowing them to teach me as I teach them. I am doing my best to raise them with love and compassion. They teach me to practise patience and understanding. Most importantly they remind me the importance of breathing! When the madness of scheduling for a family of five can seem endless or the kids all screaming for me at once puts me at the edge, I breathe. The crazy passes and then I can tend to the next task or child.

A short note of thanks to my second mother, my sister. She was always there to pick up the pieces where my mom perhaps slipped. She protected me from others and myself. She tried her best to keep me safe. Even in the worst of times as sisters, she always was there for me. She has always been the warm jacket on a blustery winters day. Thanks M for not letting me go out in the snow in high waters.

So Happy Mother's Day, to all mothers out there, new and experienced. For the dads, who have the job of mom as well. Keep it up, your doing great! We have the best salary-less job in the world. We get paid with hugs, kisses and with the bright smiles of our children. For me, that is payment enough.

Enjoy your Mother's Day!

And as always, Be Blessed, Be Healthy and Be Beautiful!

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Happy Mother's Day!

My son asked me why today was Mother's Day. I started by explaining to him that today is the one special day that Mama's are supposed to get some extra special care and love.

As I continued, I mentioned how I wasn't always a Mama. I was Elizabeth and had a very different life.  That Mother's day is very special to me  because it reminds me of a time in my life when everything changed. The day he was born. And that this change will connect us both forever, no matter how far away he may be or how big he may grow. 

Which of course prompted another question, "Why is it special?" I told him " Mother's day is special for me and I imagine many other mother's because they go from being just a woman taking care of themselves to bringing new life into the world or choosing a special child to be a mama to. It's a very big responsibility but we chose it because we have so much love inside that we need to share it or we might burst."

His response, "Mama, you are just like Tarzan's Mama Gorilla." followed by a cuddly hug by my son.

To all the mom's out there, hope you all had a great day and that you were lucky enough to get a cuddly gorilla hug like I did. 

P.S. - This conversation took nearly an hour. #Wouldnotchangeathing 

Please take a moment to comment, Like, Share or Google+ my posts. Thanks so much for coming by.

As always, Be Blessed, Be Healthy and Be Beautiful!