Momming

I can’t imagine a world in which I were not a mom. It has been my honor and my privilege to play a part in the bringing up of four delightful young adults. I get so much joy from them and have so much pride in them. I am grateful beyond words that they still want to spend time around here. I am delighted to see them interact with each other, sharing laughter and love (as well as teasing and reminding each other of past “sins”).

Mother’s Day is a time when I get free license to reminisce, so here I go. I found a few of the many Mother’s Day projects that were made for me over the years. They bring back so many wonderful memories. I don’t mean that I remember the year or the gift or the card specifically, because I can’t say that I do; I just mean that those trinkets remind me of the individual characteristics of each of the kids.

Emily was my first born. For whatever reason, her fine motor skills were lacking in her early years. (At a parent-teacher conference during first grade, her teacher showed me a number line that Emily had completed. It had a Kleenex glued in the middle of it.) Her cards showed great love and great ideas, but execution was sometimes lacking.

Joseph was always a careful worker. He didn’t like making mistakes, so sometimes that slowed him down. (As a child, he always made sure that he KNEW that he knew that he knew how to do something before actually trying it. One example was playing “rock-paper-scissors” with Grandpa. He watched for a LONG time before he ventured into that sphere.) Spelling was hard for him, but he always worked really hard.  His cards show controlled pencil strokes and designs that had some forethought.

Laura was an extreme optimist from the beginning. (One time when were out shopping together, she looked down from her spot in the shopping cart and said, “Good job, wheels!” True story.) This sunny attitude is reflected in her favorite color (yellow, for the two people on the planet who don’t know) and her use of bright colors and designs on her cards. You have to love all that enthusiasm!

Like Emily, David also lacked fine motor skills when it came to handwriting. He did not, however, lack imaginative ways to get out of handwriting. (He told his first grade teacher that he would be turning in all his assignments in a secret code. His intention was to just scribble, but his teacher had a few years under her belt and told him he could do that, if he included the key for her.)  I found that most of his early cards to me were written by someone else (he most likely talked them into it), until the time when he could make cards on the computer. I mostly just have his signature on old Mother’s Day cards.

My time as a mom of young kids went by so quickly. There are days when I still just shake my head in disbelief. I really loved those days, and I do miss them, but TODAY is pretty wonderful as well.

Here I am with each of my babies, when they were little.

In my job, I see moms in the trenches daily. It has been a long time since I was a mom in the trenches. I like to think I remember, but remembering is not the same as being. Judging by the moms I see, I can tell you with confidence that our world is in great hands. These moms are sharing their burdens and networking with each other. They are raising amazing children. Sure, they are tired and sad some days. They get frustrated and feel rushed. But they LOVE with excellence. I see it every single day. I am so proud of them (and in love with their children).

And there’s another thing! The school year is coming to a close soon, and I will have to send my sweet loves off to someone else’s care. I will miss them dearly. They will remember me for a while, but soon enough they will fall in love with a kindergarten or first grade teacher, and the memory of me will fade. Don’t get me wrong – that’s exactly what’s supposed to happen. But right about now, I get that melancholy feeling of reminders of my own children growing up. It’s not easy to keep falling in love and saying goodbye, year after year.

Alright, enough of that mush! This Mother’s Day post is all over the place. Like I said, I get free license today! Yay me! Just for fun, I also wrote a poem. It's no masterpiece, but it does reflect how much I love spending time with family in this beautiful world God made.

Before the Day is Done

By Elizabeth Traff

If you give me flowers, make them lupines

And leave them on the hill.

They blanket the field with loveliness

And never quite stand still.

If you give me jewels, make them agates

Found on Superior’s shore.

They play hide-and-seek as they tumble around

Along the sandy lake floor.

If you give me music, make it laughter

From conversations shared.

We’ll reminisce and share some dreams

Until our hearts are bared.

If you give me cards or sweets or trinkets

 I will love each one.

Just give me time with you as well

Before the day is done.