Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of you out there in blog-land!  If you are blessed with a husband like mine, you received a very special and well-thought out gift, a well-intended (but maybe not so well cooked!) dinner, and a pink princess cake (because that was all that was left at the store that met the necessary requirement of lots of frosting....).  Maybe you were awoken this morning by the toddler in your bed sitting up and shouting, "Mom!  It's not dark out anymore!  Get up!"  Maybe you were also lucky enough to grab a three hour nap with two of your kitties and your toddler, have your car cleaned for you and have a few other household chores taken care of for you.  I truly hope you've had a wonderful day with your family!

Shawn made a genuine effort to make today special for me.  I love him for that.  But truly, he makes an effort to make every day special.  I don't get flowers or gifts every week, but he shows me with his actions, and tells me with his words how cherished, loved and cared for I am.  'They' say you can tell how a man will treat his wife by how he treats his mom.  I remember Shawn was the only man in his house (out of four) who treated his mom the way she deserved to be treated.  To him, she was the queen.  He treats my mom and my grandmother with the same respect.  I see how patient he is with my aging grandmother, and it makes me love him even more.  I see how respectful he is of our widowed neighbor, how much he cares about her and what he does to help her.  Wait...  Isn't this is a MOTHER'S DAY BLOG?????  Sorry Shawn, your accolades will have to wait for another post.


Okay, back on track....


Tonight, I want to cover a few things here.  To begin with, I want to thank my cat--yes, my cat--Sophie, also known as Princess Pookie, for first making me a mom 16 years ago.  There are days I think she will be my only little girl, and when I think of how I survived college, most likely only because of her companionship, I'm grateful.  She's been toppled off her little pedestal by my human children, but she still remains faithful to me.  It causes me great pain to watch her age, but each purr she rewards me with lets me know she still loves me.  I want to thank Noah and Avery for making me a mom of two legged creatures.  I love you two boys more than you will ever know, more than you can ever comprehend.  As crazy as you can make me, not a day goes by when you do something endearing to make up for it.  I love you from your heads to your toes, and I'm just so grateful to have you both as my children.  It is truly an honor and a privilege to be your mom, a responsibility I will always cherish.

To my mom, my grandmother, Shawn's mom and our dog, Gretta (yep, you read that one right, too).  Mom and Nanny, thank you for loving me even through my bologna to the woman I am today.  Thank you for helping mold and shape me into the mom I have become.  To Shawn's mom, who is no longer with us, I will always be grateful to her for raising a gentleman, a man who has turned into a superb husband and dad.  Gretta, how can I ever thank you for sharing the maternal load in our home and for always taking your maternal role so seriously?  I love your love for your boys--our boys.

To the daycare teachers, Sunday school teachers, Scout leaders, school teachers, counselors and other villagers I routinely turn my children over to, THANK YOU, for being worthy of my children.  Thank you for being the substitute mom when I can't be there, for kissing boo-boos, for teaching my children things that I may not be able to get through to them, for your unbelievable patience and unending understanding.  Thank you for being able to see past their little behaviors to the real Avery and Noah beneath, to nurture their true beings.

To my dearest friends, who love my children as their own, and allow me to love their children as my own.  It is an honor and a privilege to be "AMom" and have 5 extra kiddos under my wings.  I am so blessed by your presence in our lives.  I don't know if you will ever fully understand the impact your families have had on our family.  I love you so very much and you are so dear to us.


Happy Mother's Day to all the moms who reside in Left Field, and neighboring fields.  Ladies, you take the cake.  You work hard for your children, day in and day out.  I pray that sometime in the near future, we can all grab a full night's sleep.  To every mom who struggles every day for her child, who gets on her knees in prayer, who loves unconditionally and always grants her children the grace and mercy which they deserve: You are the true example to the rest of us.  Thank you.


And finally tonight, to all the moms with an empty chair at the dinner table, the moms who have had to bury their children:  There are those of us who will never be able to understand your pain, but our hearts will always grieve with you.  Some of us feel a certain emptiness in concert with your loss, even though it will never compare to yours.  Please find comfort in those of us who love you so much.  And for you, the children who have buried your moms, please know that you are understood and loved.  You are not alone; I know it's not the same, but you're never alone.

 "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26