Mother's Day Meditations

My Mother's Day began, not as I might have hoped that it would - with a decadent breakfast in bed, followed by a lazy morning lounging in my jammies.  No...  Instead, I was awakened, earlier than usual, by Hannah, who had wandered upstairs into my bedroom, when someone had left the gate on the stairs open.  I brought her back down stairs, and, at my dear husband's urging, retreated back to bed to, hopefully, catch a few more zzzzzz's before I needed to start getting ready for church.  So I happily snuggled back under the down comforter, only to be called about 10 minutes later, by that same toddler, angrily protesting her Daddy's leaving for work - the early service... *sigh*  So much for that...

So, and began the process of getting the 5 remaining kids ready for church.  Nathan accompanies Brian to the 8:00 service - it's a thing... I jumped in the shower, got dressed, got the little ones dressed, did hair, and managed to get everyone out the door, only a few minutes late (my teenage girls helped with that this morning...).

Church was nice.  Brian gave roses to all the moms, and the kids made crafts in Sunday school - handprint wall-hangings, and cross wind chimes.  After we were done, The kids decided they wanted bagels for lunch.  I would have preferred french toast, belgian waffles, or crepes...  But I was overruled.  And the kids were actually quiet for quiet time...  I somehow managed to get the boys to finish their homework, and put most of their dirty clothes in the laundry room. Five loads of laundry, washed, dried, and folded.

Ice Cream Sunday, for the kids, for dinner...  And Brian stopped to get me roses on the way back.  Robbie gave me a pair of earrings he'd made for me in art class.

All in all, a pretty normal Sunday.  Which had me contemplating what it truly means to be a Mother.  As I looked back on this day, which has become yet another commercialized, consumerism-driven holiday, I saw that I understand Motherhood in a truly different way than the poetry on the cards portrays.  My role, today, and every day, is not to be celebrated, but to serve.  Motherhood is the ultimate gift of service, of self-sacrifice.  And, perhaps, the fact that today was, really, no different than any other Sunday, was the most honorable way I could spend Mother's Day, after all.  It is my gift to my children, the reason I am honored with the title, Mom, to be able to, for an all-too-short period of time, to be there for them.  To be able to put myself aside and give them what they need.  Serving them makes my heart sing.  It is why I was born - to be there for these little miracles.

Someday, in the not-too-distant future, I will not need to wipe little noses, or harp about missing homework assignments, or trip over dirty socks.  I will be able to enjoy that decadent morning (although probably not on a Sunday... LOL), lounging in bed.  And I will, somehow, miss all of... this.  Mother's Day is not about honoring ME.  It is about the fact that I have been blessed beyond measure to be the mother of 6 miracles, of six wonders of creation.  And today, I honor them, and thank God that He gave them to me.  Because without them, I would not have earned the name Mommy - the most important title I will ever wear. ♥