Mother's Day

As I reflect on this Mother’s Day, I think about my mom and Glen’s mom and even though they are no longer with us, we wish them a very happy Mother’s Day and thank them for being who they were and what they did. I talk with them frequently, asking their advice and trying to think of what they would do in any given situation.

Today I wish a very happy Mother’s Day to all mothers in this world, be you a single mom, divorced mom, step mom, traditional or non-traditional mom, adoptive mom, working mom, stay at home mom, old mom, new mom, young mom, house mom (thanks Mrs. Haviz), and grandmom. You are special and I give each of you a rose that will last as long as you wish.

MOTHERS RULE! Without mothers where in the world would we be? We were given the special and unique privilege of participating in the miracle of life. (Thank you, God!). (Guys, I’m not leaving you out. After all, we know that we couldn’t do it without you). We are the baby factories. It is our bodies that protects and nurtures these little humans for the first 9 months of their development. Along with our Maker (and with more than a little help from our man), we produce the men and women of this world and, with our mothering, produce the philosophers, teachers, doctors, nurses, factory workers, CEO’s, inventors, presidents, leaders of all kinds, astronauts, more mothers and fathers, on and on. The list would be endless. Pat yourselves on the back, moms. We are the VIP’s of this world.

Everywhere I look I see young mothers with their beautiful children (yes, all children are beautiful) and I reflect on the years when our children were young. I want to rush to every mother’s side and tell them “enjoy and relish every moment of your children. Don’t let time slip away because before long they will be out of your arms and out on their own doing whatever they do and, as Glen so often says, ‘scaring the hell out of us’.” Time will slip away, years will go by, and you are separated by time and space. Stay connected however you can. Take the time to call, write, twitter, or whatever, to be and remain a part of their lives and you a part of theirs.

Computers and web browsers (skype) are great, cell phones, even better. Reading our children’s blogs is like listening in on their conversations and being with them even though they are miles (make that thousands of miles or across oceans) away. Technology can be cumbersome and frustrating for us “mature” adults, but it’s worth every stressful moment. I can write this as we are travelling back to Amarillo from Austin, even with a restrictive brace on my wrist and the road ruts making the ride all but smooth in our big SUV. We spent a great morning with Kristi, Sarah and Stephen for a scrumptious Mothers Day Brunch at the South Congress Restaurant. (That’s the name of the restaurant on South Congress ). We spent time talking about our next visit (the one in San Antonio for Thanksgiving), giving and receiving lots of hugs and most importantly, lots of “I love yous”. I’ve received calls already from Jen & Dave and Kathy & Tom and it’s not even noon. I know Mark and Sean’s are forthcoming. (Upon arriving home there was a message and card waiting for me) It’s almost like being together.

I’m reflecting on our children’s propensity for living and what exceptional people they are. Often I think I had nothing to do with their development, but Glen reminds me that is not the case. I wonder how much of it is by chance. What about those that choose lifestyles that are not in line with our values? Is there a force, be it God or your personal Higher Power, that guides you to the path you take or is it predestined as some may think? Personally, I think it’s more to do with the free will that we are given. And, with that, the freedom to choose the path where our talents may lead . Do these talents, or gifts, come to us through a gene pool or just through plain hard work? Even if they come from the gene pool, there is still much hard work involved. We can choose to follow or not. Every time I watch a professional tennis match, or listen to beautiful music, I think, “could that have been me? Could I have done that?” After all, I had the opportunity to study music and I loved it. I could have picked up the tennis racquet at a young age instead of waiting until I was 37. Did I put aside a talent I should have developed to, instead, pursue a profession I had envisioned in the nursing field, and then marry and raise a family? Somehow I think not. Every time I look at my children, listen to them, read their blogs, learn more about them, I thank God for giving me this wonderful opportunity to be their mother.

My children challenge me daily and have taught me more than I could ever have hoped to teach them. They have taught me tolerance and patience. They’ve taught me how to laugh at their silly jokes, and that it’s alright to cry when I’m happy. They have shown me that it’s OK to be different and that they are strong. They have taught me that I shouldn’t worry about them, that they can take care of themselves. Most of all, they taught me about unconditional love.

Thank you, Mark, Kathy, Kristi, Jennifer, and Sarah, for all the joy you bring to my life and to your dads. If I had it to do all over again, there would still be Mark, Kathy, Kristi, Jennifer and Sarah. And “5isenuf” still holds a lot of truth!!