I love being a Mother...

.... for the "fuzzy" feelings I get when I know I am loved. It comes through the "Mom, can I have your advice?" or "Can you help me with something?"s I get from McKenna (that's the 16-year-old version); the hug, the kiss on the cheek, and the "I love you" I get each night from Delaney (the 11-year-old version); and the hair-twisting and "You're the bestest Mommy ever" I get from Sydney when it's nighttime and she's sleepy (the 4-year-old version). They are ALL fantastic!

... for the satisfaction I have gotten from seeing each of my girls go through different stages in their lives. I have had people tell me, "Oh, watch out for those teenage years" as if they will be the years from hell with no escape route. Sure, they can be challenging but I can honestly say that I have loved EACH and EVERY one of the ages that my girls have gone through so far (although, 10 through 13 are the hardest! lol). It's a joy to see them grow up in front of my eyes! (and I have a newfound sense that perhaps God gave us our Sydney surprise so that we could experience these such disparate ages and know the joy in each of them!).

... for the understanding I now have for how my Mom felt when she was taking care of my brother and I when we were sick, or praying for me all day long on that first day at a new high school, or pacing the floor when I was in the delivery room, or telling me how hard it was to see me grow up. I get it now!

... for the pride I feel when I see the evidence of the girls learning the lessons I have tried to instill in them their whole lives. Imagine my utter pride when Delaney was asking McKenna how she handles peer pressure and stays so true to her convictions and McKenna said, "I think about what Mom would want me to do, or whether Mom would be proud of me in that moment."

...for the knowledge that while it is sometimes bittersweet (having to discipline; or watching them growing up and sensing the moment when they will spread their own wings; or seeing them fail and knowing they have to learn from it), it is always more sweet than bitter.

... for the joy in simply sharing FUN times with my girls. I think we sometimes see motherhood as only a "job" and find ourselves being too picky, too critical, too impatient, too whatever. And while motherhood IS a job and something we must take seriously, that's not all it is. So, on this Mother's Day, I want to celebrate the fact that I just love being with and having fun with my girls. Whether it's going to a bookstore with McKenna, or watching baseball with Delaney, or playing Barbies with Sydney...those are mother/daughter times that I want to treasure.




(Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful Moms out there. May you be pampered on this day, and may you feel the blessings you have all around you!)