Saturday, May 13, 2006

Happy Mother's Day

I've seen variations of this floating around the Internet lately and thought it was particularly appropriate for Mother's day. It's quite touching and made me tear up when I read it.

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FOR ALL THE MOMS...

This is for all the mothers who DIDN'T win Mother of the Year in 2005. All the runners-up and all the wannabes. The mothers too tired to enter or too busy to care.

This is for all the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf, laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's okay honey, Mommy's here."

This is for all the mothers who froze their buns off on metal bleachers at football games Friday night instead of watching from cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see my tackle?" they could say, "Of course, wouldn't have missed it for the world"...and mean it.

This is for all the mothers of Sudan who fled in the night and can't find their children.

This is for all the mothers of the victims of the latest school shooting and the mother of the shooter. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see.
And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

This is for reading "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And then reading it again..."Just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who mess up. Who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair and stomp their feet like a tired 2-year-old who wants ice cream before dinner.
And for all the mothers who count to 10 instead, but realize how child abuse happens.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies.
And for all the (grand) mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words.

This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat.

This is for all the mothers who taught their daughters to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

For all the mothers who bite their lips--sometimes until they bleed--when their 14-year-olds dye their hair green.

Who lock themselves in the bathroom when babies keep crying and won't stop.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for all mothers whose heads turn automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home.

This is for mothers who put pinwheels and teddy bears on their children's graves.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.

This is for all the mothers who sent their sons to school with stomach aches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.

What makes a good mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time? The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 a.m. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby? The need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a school shooting, a fire, a car accident, a baby dying?

I think so.

This is for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation. And mature mothers learning to let go. For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mothers and married mothers. Mothers with money, mothers without.

This is for you all. For all of us.

Today's Thought:

A mother can touch a whole generation just by loving her own child well.
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I love that thought and truly believe in it.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

And happy Mother's Day to you, Mom. :) I love you.

5 Comments:

At 5/13/2006 9:13 PM, Blogger KleoPatra said...

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Nice post.

 
At 5/13/2006 9:13 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

This was really so sweet! Thanks for posting it - happy mother's day to you. I've been reading your blog but never have time to comment - I'm sure you understand. ;) Glad you're feeling good and the pregnancy is going well. I'm so excited for you!! And happy belated birthday. ;) *hugs*

 
At 5/14/2006 6:19 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Happy Mother's Day to you too, honey. I am so proud of the mother that you are to Ava and will be to baby #2. I love you, too.
Mom

 
At 5/14/2006 8:01 AM, Blogger Amy T said...

Happy Mother's Day to you, too, Amy! What a touching passage.

 
At 5/15/2006 6:56 AM, Blogger Harmonia said...

Hi! Your comments were very interesting and something I should look into more. Not that I have any kids or want any but just to educate myself on the subject. Happy Mother's Day...a day late! Hope it was a good one!

 

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