Reflections on Mother's Day

 Been gone awhile, I know, but I've been knee deep in finishing up our school year, making our goals for next year, and ordering and purchasing our  new school material.  Phew!!

But, of course, I had to stop for a minute and get some thoughts down for the grand occasion of Mother's Day.  Now, I know we should all be telling our mothers all through the year how much we appreciate and love them, but on this day, it is wonderful to pause and remember those childhood memories we all hold so dear.

My memories of my mother amaze me......especially now that I'm a mother.  Even with all the stress and responsibilities of being a mother, I remember my mother always taking the time to show us the world around us and revel in it.  We would go on walks in the woods and enter ino a magical world of my mother's making....one where I was an Indian princess and my brother the brave warrior who would gallantly protect us.  To a child, the most wonderful thing you can do is to enter into their world, and my mother never failed to disappoint my brother and I in helping create our fantasy worlds.   I know without a shadow of a doubt that I have been able to be a more 'carefree, get down and dirty with the playdo and paints, imaginative mother' because of my mother taking the time AND PATIENCE to make these things possible in my young life.

Another blessed thing I had in my mother was the ability to talk about anything with her without condemnation or criticism.  My brother and I could talk at any hour of any day on any topic and my mother was there to listen....and listen....and listen.............and listen.  Once I became a mother myself and I realized how talkative children can be, I asked her how on earth she never made it seem a problem to her.  Her response?  "If you don't make the effort to listen to them when they are young, they won't bother to confide in you when they are older.".  So, even though I fail at times, I do make a conscious effort to make sure to spend moments during the day where I focus on each child and listen to them without interruption....it's hard to do in our house of six and sometimes it's when everyone is in bed and I cuddle up beside them in the dark and listen to them recount their day or describe the dreams they have or even tell me when their feelings were hurt or have a question about God.   Like I said, it is a challenge, but after having the ability to have my mother listen to what I had to say growing up, I always want to make sure that as a mother, I too give my children the confidence that makes them feel they are worth being listened to and respected.

So, reflecting back at the many ways my mother excelled in raising me, I can attest that the two things which mattered most to me were her ability to enter our imaginative world and kick back and have fun with us, and the knack she had for listening to us whenever we needed it.

THANK YOU, MOM!!  You have always made me want to be a better person, but most of all, a wonderful mother like you.

I love you! :)