Mom…a word I desired to be called and at times when fatigue filled my soul caused me to curl up and want to hide. Recently when my daughter moved into her own home, as she was packing she would call out, “Mom”….’MOM”….”MUM”…..then laughed as she said, “I’m doing that so you will be glad I am out of your house!” I still miss her.
Other than the 9 straight years of changing diapers, cleaning up throw-up, chasing muddy feet as they entered the house, cleaning up faces filled with food and floors covered with the aftermath of their meals, feeling like I was attached to the car driving them to their activities, sitting in cold, snow, or rain at their sporting events, being the go between them and their Dad, or the sleepless nights worried about their fever or behavior, I loved being a mother.
The noise factor in the house never bothered me. The truth is that I loved it. The chaos of kids laughing, wrestling with their Dad on the floor, or chasing each other around the house, although at times exasperating, still filled me with a strong sense of purpose in life. I miss it from time to time, especially as this stage of my life of living alone.
Happy are the holiday memories. From the traditions of Christmas Eve’s at Grammy Ford’s to our own Christmas morning breakfast with family joining us for a relaxed day of kid chaos. Easter Egg hunts in the backyard, to the Thanksgiving Dinners that for us was both an anniversary of our life together and a celebration of family and friends…to the holiday picnics we held every year, rain or shine!
Easy? No, being a mother is not easy. But worth it? Yes. I always tried to be a good, caring Mother to my kids. Was I perfect? No. But one hopes in life when they grow up and have children of their own a better understanding of what it takes to be a parent shows them how much they were loved. No one could ever say I don't love my kids…I still do…I always will and unconditionally. The joy now are the grandchildren, my gift for putting up with them! Haha!
Raise a glass to the Mothers in the world. They nurture, sacrifice, and give love unconditionally. They are the arms that surround you when the world pushes in, they are the ears that listen when no one else will, and they are the heart that always loves you no matter the storm.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there!
Cheers!
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