From one mother to another

I love my mom!  Do I even have to say it?  Of course, every one does!  But this, being my first Mother's Day, saying I love my mom means more now then it ever has.  The words I would use to describe my mom are likely the same words a lot of children would use to describe their mothers; selfless, unconditionally loving, a Godly example, their biggest fan... Truly all of these would describe my mama. 

Before I found out I was pregnant, I knew everything there was to know about being a parent.  I knew everything I WOULDN'T do.  But the second I found out God had entrusted Matthew and I with the gift of raising a life, it suddenly donned on me- I don't know anything that I WOULD do.  And now, six months into it, I'm not all that sure that I know what TO do, but with a fearless partner and the help of the Lord, we're winging it day by day.  So far into this adventure called motherhood I have found that a lot of the things that I am doing okay with are the things that I learned from my mother. 

One of the things that I can honestly say about my mother- no fluff, no exageration- is that I have never heard my mom complain about being a mother.  I have never heard her complain about the long days or the sleepless nights, never heard a flippant comment about not getting a moment to call her own, not a peep about wishing she could take one day of vacation from reality.  When my mom became a mama, she signed up for the whole job- not just the glamorous parts.  She not only raised one child investing her whole heart and life- but did it six times.  And just when she could see the light at the end of the parenting tunnel, she signed up to do it all over again for a seventh time- and is doing it with the same selfless excellence with Child #7. 

So many times when I'm singing to my little boy, the song that I'm singing is a song that I heard my mom sing to one of my sisters- and undoubtedly sang to me too.  When I'm telling my little boy how much I love him, I realize that what I'm saying is something my mama told me- something sweet like "I love you like pigs love mud" :).  When I brought Gavin home from the hospital, my mom was there to keep me sane.  She stayed up with him to let me and Matthew sleep.  She woke up before we did to make us breakfast. She was the one that told me that his little personality is developing in those first few weeks and months, so not to get overwelmed.  She let me call her at 1:00 am the first night I had Gavin by myself and said "Hold on, honey. I can be there in just one minute" even though she lives 16 miles away...and had to be at work the next day (she didn't end up coming- but she walked me through what to do). 

I love my mama on this Mother's day not only because she loved me and raised me- but because she taught me how to love my baby. Happy Mother's Day, Mom.  Many women have done well, but you surpass them.  Your worth is far above rubies!