I’m still celebrating Mother’s Day around here.
That’s my Mother’s Day gift to myself, I’m stretching out honoring the mothers I love. Ha!
But seriously, does anyone else get a little overwhelmed on Mother’s Day? There’s so much to think about…how you’re doing as a mother, how you want to honor all those amazing mothers/nurturers you look up to so much, (and responding to all the nice things people send your way). You want to spend time with your family and spend time doing the nurturing tasks that give you that noble calling. Maybe it’s all hunky dorey with everyone else, and I’m certainly not complaining, it was a great day. But PHEW! It’s tough to balance! How does everyone have time to post so many thoughts and positivity in the middle of it all?
Maybe they’re just more organized than I am, but since I’m not, here I am on Thursday still celebrating.
Because I have to talk about my motherhood heroes (and tomorrow I have to talk about what actually went down around here on that big day).
“Edward McDonald wrote: “When God wants an important thing done in this world or a wrong righted, He goes about it in a very singular way. He doesn’t release thunderbolts or stir up earthquakes. God simply has a tiny baby born, perhaps of a very humble home, perhaps of a very humble mother. And she puts it in the baby’s mind, and then- God waits. The great events of this world are not battles and elections and earthquakes and thunderbolts. The great events are babies, for each child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged with humanity, but is still expecting goodwill to become incarnate in each human life.”
Made me think of these two pretty little babies:
My mother-in-law and my mother.
I think God knew they would each grow to do important things.
The most important of which would be raising their babies.
With love.
And grace.
And humility.
And oh! The ripple effects of their mother-work is so beautiful.
I’m so grateful for what they sacrificed to be mothers.
That they walked rocky grounds and the sometimes-valleys of sorrow to become who they are.
To nurture their children to become who they are.
Did they make mistakes?
You bet!
But they believed in a God of second chances.
And they woke up, day after day, to try again.
They put their motherhood on the top of their priority lists.
Yes, those two babies up there put so many other “important” things aside and looked into their own baby’s eyes. Taught them through example. And I’m sure prayed their guts out over and over.
And over again.
They are my motherhood heroes.
Along with those dear mothers who raised them.
And their mothers before that.
And their mothers before that.
That motherhood chain is pretty awe inspiring.
Oh how grateful I am also for the mothers who raised my daughter-in-law and son-in-law. Two of my favorites who have been nurtured and loved by their mothers to be the perfect matches for my own children.
So grateful for the sleepless nights, the worry, the attention, the continual work and love they put into raising those kids of theirs.
There is so much power in motherhood.
May we remember that always.
That in our motherhood, we are truly teaching souls to fly (as one of my favorite paintings is titled).
Thank you for all of your Mother’s Day posts. I felt a little exhausted on Mother’s Day. Everyone was posting the exact same message, and it wasn’t about thanking mothers. Although in some ways I appreciate their compassion, I felt sad that no one was just willing to say a simple thank you to moms on this one day. Appreciate so much your simple “thank you”.