It's a Stretch

It's Mother's Day once again.  A perfect time for me to come out of hiding and log back into the blogosphere.

It's funny, because this day is supposed to be about me.  Well not me, but us; the mothers of the world.  But what it always turns into is a sweet reminder of how precious my kids are to me.  I'm guessing it might do the same for most of the mothers out there as well.

Because we all know that we aren't mothers without our children.  So how could this day possibly be only about us?  And even if you don't have your own kids, know that your mom is probably getting a big smile on her face today while she is thinking about you and how you've made her a better person.

I know that's the case for me.  My kids continue to challenge me every day.  They do things that require me to stretch beyond my comfort zone, or they act in a way that calls for more patience and understanding than I ever knew I had in me. And in fact, sometimes I don't have it in me. But either way, that's a wonderful thing.  Moving beyond your self-imposed boundaries so that you can be who you need to be for someone else.  And when you come back into your safe place, when it's time for some quality "alone time", you'll be a better person than before you had to deal with all that spilled milk.

However, the flip side of all that growth is the exhaustion.  When you have young kids you end up doing a lot of stretching, molding and general bending over backwards.  And it makes you quite sore.  It's that ache like you get after a good work out.  You hurt, but it's a good hurt.  You know you did something good, and that you'll be stronger for it.  However in the meantime you really just want to sit down and rest.  And besides, you are getting all kinds of mental and emotional stretch marks, not to mention the physical ones.  

And it's that very raw tiredness that makes us wish the time away.  But we only get one time in our lives when our kids are little and they look at us like we can do no wrong.  When all it takes to make the tears stop is a kiss from mommy.  Or when they cry when we leave them, as if their oxygen is being cut off and their life just isn't any fun without us.  Because really, right now, it isn't.  And that will not always be the case.

So on days like today, I will once again pledge to live in the MOMent.  I promise to do my best to:

Play more peek-a-boo and less hiding at the computer.

Be more loving and understanding in those moments of total chaos, when all I really want to do is scream "EVERYONE JUST SHUT UP!".

Give a deep, soulful, I-love-you-from-the-tip-of-my-toes-to-the-top-of-my-head hug to my kids as often as I possibly can.  Especially since one day soon they won't want them as frequently and I almost miss them already.

Put more sunscreen on their freckled noses.

Listen to what they are saying when they aren't talking.

Join in their carefree play as often as I can, trying my best to ignore that voice in my head telling me I have so many other responsibilities that I am not getting done because I am having a pretend birthday party for a stuffed animal.

So hug your mother today.  Or talk to her.  Or pray to her.  And know that you helped bring joy into her life that never would have been there without you.