Saturday, May 10, 2008

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!)

14 comments:

Delia said...

Cheryl, I love how you celebrated your relationship with your girls for your Mother's Day post!

Happy Mother's Day!

Corey said...

aw! what a very sweet and touching post. I love what you said.
Hope you have a great Mothers Day!!

Renee said...

Happy Mother's Day, Cheryl! I can tell from your blog that you're a great mom.

Mississippi Songbird said...

What a beautiful post..Thank you for sharing.. You are a wonderful Mom and your children are blessed...
Happy Mothers Day and God Bless you..

Anonymous said...

Beautiful post Cheryl! Happy Mother's Day to one of the best moms (and blog friends) in the planet!

Kelly said...

What a beautiful Mother's Day post...thanks for stopping by my blog.

It's nice to know people are reading it. I've read some of yours and you're a very good writer. I'll be back, I'm sure!

Lynilu said...

Happy Mother's Day, Cheryl! Ain't motherhood da bomb? And when you do it as well as you do, it has rewards beyond belief. Enjoy your day, enjoy your girls, enjoy your life! :)

Auburn Kat said...

One of the things I want the most in life is to be a mother. I am looking forward to that day!

Dawn Bibbs said...

GREAT post! Happy Mother's Day to you too, my friend. LOVE the pictures of the girls.

Edleen said...

Happy Mother's Day Cheryl! *hugs*

you are so Blessed with 3 Beautiful daughters and i hope you have fuzzy feelings all thru eternity as we all do with our Moms and our children :)

it's Monday here, wishing you a Great Week ahead!

Crazy in Alabama said...

Thanks for stopping by my site and thanks for the prayers. Hope you had a great day yesterday!! That was a wonderful post...and so true! It's amazing as an adult to be in a situation that your mother told you would happen and realize that "she told you so". I try to remmeber that one day my 13 year old will have the same feeling when she is adult, even though right now she is rolling her eyes and thinking that I must be the stupidest person in the world. LOL

Anonymous said...

Great post, Cheryl. I hope you had a great Mothers Day.

Monogram Queen said...

Happy Belated Mothers Day Cheryl, you are a Mother who inspires me every day!

I try to enjoy the moments with my girl too. *sigh* I am feeling melancholy today for some reason.

Linda said...

Mother's Day is hard for me because I miss my mom who passed 26 years ago at the ripe old age of 47. But it is also a time that I get to see my girls and cherish them. Yesterday, moody, cranky 17 yo dd gave me the most beautiful card. It was wonderful...I will treasure it always...Beautiful Post Cheryl. I have no doubt your Mother's day was fabulous. Hugs