Mothers!

Ah May...You are probably one of my favorite months.  And not just because you're my birth month, but because you are the epitome of spring!  You almost always guarantee warm weather, strawberries are ripe and ready to pick, you have the 3 day weekend at the end, pools open, the end of school is just around the corner and flowers are abundant.  And Mother's Day.  While I realize Mother's Day is a Hallmark holiday and every day our children are with us is a Mother's Day in it's own right (as long as I see my kiddos smile at me every day, I'm good to go!), it is nice to have the day's intentions acknowledged.  Yes, even though we say "Oh I don't need anything!  I have you guys!", secretly, we want to the handmade cards and gifts from school, the burnt toast in bed, and the dandelion bouquet from the garden.

Last year, our son made Mother's Day last a good month!  The week leading up to it and a couple of weeks following, any time he found a flower at school, he would pick it and save it for when I came to pick him up.  When I arrived he would present me with the buttercups or clovers and say "Happy Mother's Day Mommy!"  My heart would melt and it would be Mother's Day all over again.

Years ago, before our son was born, many people told me that when I had kids, not to take any moment for granted.  From the time our son was born, I have really tried not too.  I try to make sure I treasure the moments, even those when, as a baby, he was screaming for no apparent reason; when he tests boundaries; when he asked why for the millionth time; or when he tries to negotiate his way out of or into something.  I try to hug, kiss and snuggle him whenever he wants to because I know there might come a day when he doesn't want Mommy to touch him (perish the thought!).  He knows it too, because he sometimes uses bedtime hugs and kisses to delay going to bed - it kills me to tell him no more!  With our baby girl, I'm trying to do the same thing.  When she wakes up in the middle of the night, I drag my reluctant butt out of bed and go to her, because for some reason, she needs me.  How long will she need me like that? I also realize that boundaries do need to be set, and sometimes Mama needs to be firm and not (contrary to what her heart says) give in or be permissive, because we want our children to grow up to be self-sufficient adults who still love us because we set those boundaries and gave them guidelines.  But I don't think an extra snuggle here or there is going to spoil any progress.

There are mothers who have lost their little ones this year who will not have their children to hug, kiss, snuggle, scold and teach this Mother's Day.  They are still mothers, they are just mothers to angels.  They carried a child for some amount of time, and that makes them a mother.  Our first pregnancy made an angel, and I was heartbroken that first Mother's Day.  I should have been holding a baby in my arms that day.  But, God had other plans.  Little did I know but at the time, I was pregnant with our son!  Because I had to have a D&C with our first pregnancy, that first little life help to make a clean home for his/her little brother.  Does that mean I forget that first pregnancy? Nope. Not a chance.  That little one will always be with me.

So, this Mother's Day, whether your kids are big or small, snuggle them a little longer, play with them, cook with them, let them burn your toast and pick flowers out of your garden - they are the reason you celebrate this day!