There are so many things that I could say about my Sweet Mother. For those of you who know her, you know that when I say "Sweet" I am not just throwing around southern charm. My Mother is genuinely probably the sweetest person I know! She is an amazing woman, who has impacted my life in so many ways. Every day I am grateful that I have the honor of being one of her daughters. Through the years she has taught me more than I could chronicle, but here are a few of the ways she has encouraged me to be the woman I am today.
She carried me in her belly, birthed me, fed me, clothed me, and cared for my every need as an infant.
She taught me to tie my shoes.
She taught me how to read music - before I even knew how to read books - using a church hymnal.
She sang to me almost every night of my childhood, with a voice that I still believe to be the most beautiful my heart has ever heard!
She read Dr. Seuss and Little Golden Books (almost) to my hearts content.
She taught me the very valuable lesson of learning to listen before I speak.
My mother stayed by my bed through two years of hip surgery, physical therapy, re-learning how to walk, and a LOT of teenage anger and angst.
She laughed at me when I told her that moving to Missouri just in time for a blizzard was proof that hell could freeze over.
She encouraged me to take all of the thoughts and feelings that ruffled up inside me and write.
She has always been willing to give me a little (even a lot) of what was rightfully hers and not mine.
My Sweet Mother -- affectionately known as Momy -- has taught me to be a woman of integrity and excellent character! She has taught me to be gentle, kind, loving, graceful, courageous, creative, funny, tender-hearted, and most important she has taught me to be a woman of faith! She has always encouraged me to bow my knees before the Lord, give Him thanks, count my blessings, trust in His goodness, and listen to and apply His words in my life.
So...
Happy Mother's Day to my amazing, beautiful, caring, giving, and ever-loving Momy. I am so thankful for you and I can not imagine my life without you in it! You never cease to amaze me! You have risen through adversity and learned to soar! Thank you for the time, love, support, and overall energy that you have poured into my life!
I love you THIIIIS much!!!
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Happy Mother's Day
Today is another Mother's Day. It is always a bitter-sweet day for me. I am so thankful to have a day that is set apart to honor my Momy (just go with it) and the other Mamas in my life. There is also a spot in my heart that aches each year on this day, because my dreams of being a mother are yet to be realized. It may seem strange to some, but I also know there are a lot of women who can absolutely understand what I am about to say!
I can almost hear the sounds of little feet walking through the house to bring me a "Mother's Day breakfast in bed", I can imagine the card I would get from church or preschool with a tiny hand-print or foot-print and a cheesy poem about how I have contributed to the growth of the child who's prints are on the page, I can feel in my heart the sweet joy of baby giggles. No, I am not crazy! I am a mother. I don't have any children of my own (yet - I hope), but in my heart of hearts, I am a mother. I know this about myself and have known it my whole life.
As a small child, I loved nothing more than caring for my baby dolls and stuffed animals. I even had a baby carrier that I took EVERYWHERE I went. (Thank you Mom for indulging me!) As a pre-teen, I BEGGED for the opportunity to babysit or play with little children. I stalked my poor neighbors that had children and accosted them as soon as they drove into the driveway to ask if I could "help" them watch their babies. Most of them genuinely seemed appreciative, but I can only imagine that there were probably a few times that they just wanted to send me home and didn't have the heart to do it. Then as a teenager, I had finally arrived! I could babysit! There was hardly a Friday or Saturday night that I wasn't taking care of someone's children...even when I was on crutches for an entire year of my life! Move forward in life, and I have been a nanny, teacher, children's minister, family coach, and doula. I just LOVE caring for family! It's how I was made.
I write this, because I know many other people who have a similar longing to be called Mom. We are often ashamed, embarrassed, or feel hidden in this heart-aching, stomach churning, life-call. We ask the question, "Is it in the cards for me? Will it ever happen? Am I ok with never being a mother?". Occasionally we will tell our dearest friends that our hearts hurt because of this longing, but more often than not we will swallow the lump in our throat and cry out to the Lord (or into our pillow) and remind Him once more that all we really want is to have a family.
For all of my friends (and people I don't even know that may read this), I encourage you to hold onto your identity as a mother and live it out to it's fullest -- even if you don't have children of your own. It doesn't take away the sting of staying seated at church when the pastor lovingly calls for all of the moms to stand up so they can receive a clap offering. It doesn't change the fact that you didn't have a child bring you runny eggs, burnt toast, and a half-spilled cup of orange juice this morning. But what it does do, is make you a person of character, love, and faith! We hold onto the promises of the Lord even when we don't see the fruit! Why? Because we know that His plans are greater than our own. We know that HE does not discount the little things in life. He sees, and He knows the desires we hold in our hearts. We don't know what the future brings, but if you are someone - like me - who has only ever dreamed of being a mother, I encourage you to do just that!
A mother is not just a woman who has given birth or raised her own children. A mother is someone who has invested in the lives of others. She is someone who has cleaned up scraped knees, prayed for a fever to break in sickness, taught someone how to accomplish something of value; a mother is one who has loved another greater than herself!
So to everyone one of you, I say "Happy Mother's Day"! You deserve to be recognized! Walk through today with your head held high. If you go out to lunch and someone offers you a Mother's Day flower, take it! Receive the blessing! Receive the promise! And know that you too, are a mother in some capacity!
I can almost hear the sounds of little feet walking through the house to bring me a "Mother's Day breakfast in bed", I can imagine the card I would get from church or preschool with a tiny hand-print or foot-print and a cheesy poem about how I have contributed to the growth of the child who's prints are on the page, I can feel in my heart the sweet joy of baby giggles. No, I am not crazy! I am a mother. I don't have any children of my own (yet - I hope), but in my heart of hearts, I am a mother. I know this about myself and have known it my whole life.
As a small child, I loved nothing more than caring for my baby dolls and stuffed animals. I even had a baby carrier that I took EVERYWHERE I went. (Thank you Mom for indulging me!) As a pre-teen, I BEGGED for the opportunity to babysit or play with little children. I stalked my poor neighbors that had children and accosted them as soon as they drove into the driveway to ask if I could "help" them watch their babies. Most of them genuinely seemed appreciative, but I can only imagine that there were probably a few times that they just wanted to send me home and didn't have the heart to do it. Then as a teenager, I had finally arrived! I could babysit! There was hardly a Friday or Saturday night that I wasn't taking care of someone's children...even when I was on crutches for an entire year of my life! Move forward in life, and I have been a nanny, teacher, children's minister, family coach, and doula. I just LOVE caring for family! It's how I was made.
I write this, because I know many other people who have a similar longing to be called Mom. We are often ashamed, embarrassed, or feel hidden in this heart-aching, stomach churning, life-call. We ask the question, "Is it in the cards for me? Will it ever happen? Am I ok with never being a mother?". Occasionally we will tell our dearest friends that our hearts hurt because of this longing, but more often than not we will swallow the lump in our throat and cry out to the Lord (or into our pillow) and remind Him once more that all we really want is to have a family.
For all of my friends (and people I don't even know that may read this), I encourage you to hold onto your identity as a mother and live it out to it's fullest -- even if you don't have children of your own. It doesn't take away the sting of staying seated at church when the pastor lovingly calls for all of the moms to stand up so they can receive a clap offering. It doesn't change the fact that you didn't have a child bring you runny eggs, burnt toast, and a half-spilled cup of orange juice this morning. But what it does do, is make you a person of character, love, and faith! We hold onto the promises of the Lord even when we don't see the fruit! Why? Because we know that His plans are greater than our own. We know that HE does not discount the little things in life. He sees, and He knows the desires we hold in our hearts. We don't know what the future brings, but if you are someone - like me - who has only ever dreamed of being a mother, I encourage you to do just that!
A mother is not just a woman who has given birth or raised her own children. A mother is someone who has invested in the lives of others. She is someone who has cleaned up scraped knees, prayed for a fever to break in sickness, taught someone how to accomplish something of value; a mother is one who has loved another greater than herself!
So to everyone one of you, I say "Happy Mother's Day"! You deserve to be recognized! Walk through today with your head held high. If you go out to lunch and someone offers you a Mother's Day flower, take it! Receive the blessing! Receive the promise! And know that you too, are a mother in some capacity!
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