Mother's Day

All I wanted today and asked for was a picture taken with my children.  To me, this is what being a mother is all about- craziness all around.   Being together in the thick and thin.  It's the little tender moments that I have with these kids that remain with me forever.  I love being a mom.  It's all I have ever wanted in my life.  I feel so blessed to be able to raise these children and to love them every single day.  They bring me so much joy and happiness.  Motherhood is the greatest blessing.

My mom . . . where do I even begin.  She is such a wonderful example to me.  I admire the things she has done in her life and continues to do.  She teaches me daily how to become who I want to become. She has taught me the importance of being consistent with my children, setting high expectations for them, and setting those same expectations for myself also as a mother.  She taught me that babies are intricate, lovely gifts from heaven that deserve time and attention.  That little things are sometimes a big deal. 

She has taught me to be serve my family.  I learned most of what it means to be a mother by watching her as I was growing up.  I never heard her complain about the endless meals, the laundry, the cleaning.  EVER.  She never griped at us, or pestered us.  She did SO much and I never realized it until I became a mother myself.  She has taught me the discipline needed to be a hard worker every day.  How to tackle a project, write a list, organize my house, do what I need to do to run a household.  She seemed to do all of this effortlessly when I was a child, like it wasn't a big deal.  She taught me excellent organizational skills, and how to keep things in order.

She has taught me that the responsibility of a mother doesn't end when children turn 18.  It's a lifetime of acceptance, love, time, attention, forgiveness.  Moms don't stop being moms when kids are adults...she still lets us grow, say stupid things, watch us make dumb mistakes, and loves us just the same as she always has.  I have learned what it means, from my mother, to be unconditionally loved and how to love unconditional.  

I Love you mom.