Mothers

"There's just nothing like your mom." Isn't that true? I can be myself with mom. She doesn't care that the toilets are gross, and that I have a junk closet, and the kids clothes drawers have no method to them. She loves my kids unconditionally. I don't worry that I am putting her out. You can tell she just loves the kids. She rocked the baby in the middle of the night when I knew he wasn't hungry or poopy, but I knew I was exhausted. She walked the kids to the bus stop and was proud to be their Grandma. She went on a field trip with Zac. (He was so proud! "This beautiful lady is my Ma") She rocked and rocked and rocked Gage. She played blocks with Trev and danced in the kitchen with him. She read a million books or the same books a million times. She did my laundry...who knows how many loads. She did the dishes everyday, every meal. She cooked for us and spoiled us. She made me drink fluids, made me fruit salad, and made sure I was doing OK. She doesn't need entertained. She was just happy to be here with us...and was happy with a Sonic drink as a bonus. She wanted to buy and take care of anything that I needed- always has put herself last. She got Jenna ready in the mornings for school and let me sleep-in with Gage everyday. How did I get so lucky? I hope that Jenna feels as loved by me as I do by my mom. I hope that we are close like me and my mom. I hope that I can be the grandma that my mom is to my kids- it's effortless and genuine. As she has said, "my cup runneth over."

Every woman needs their mom when they have a baby. It is evidence that once we are mothers, we are always mothers- helping, loving and nurturing in times of greatest need, even teaching how to mother by example once the daughter is grown having babies of her own. Thank you mom for taking care of me and inspiring me to be a better mom. I love you.

I acknowledge that not all of us have a relationship with our moms or wish that it was different. But hopefully we all have someone in our life that is a mother to us. Sheri Dew once said, "Are we not all mothers?" Thanks to the other women in my life who have called and helped out.