Today is a day of firsts for me. It’s my first Mother’s Day as a very thankful mother-in-law – thank you very much, Brendan! It’s the first Mother’s Day that I have lived in a different state than two of my children. It is my first Mother’s Day in Colorado. It’s a strange mix of happy and sad firsts.
But it’s also a Mother’s Day marked by non-firsts. It’s the 14th Mother’s Day that I have reflected on a child whose presence I am still missing. It’s the 8th Mother’s Day that I have been in a different state from my mother and mother-in-law. It’s the 25th Mother’s Day that I have been beyond thankful for the gift of my precious and wonderful children. It’s the 26th Mother’s Day that I have been thankful for such a wonderful and loving mother-in-law, and the 47th year that I have been blessed with the most amazing mom. Again, a dichotomy of opposing emotions.
I know that part of my emotions today stem from the fact that we were up all night chaperoning the after-prom celebration for Blake’s high school. Sleep deprivation tends to heighten the emotions. But it doesn’t change the fact that motherhood has profoundly impacted my life from the time I was born. First, through my own mom and grandmothers. Then through my mother-in-law. And then through the experiences of carrying, birthing and mothering my own incredible children. Motherhood, in all its many forms, has made me who I am today. Through it’s rich experiences of immense joy and intense pain. Through the examples of others and the experiences of my own.
Today, I am so thankful that God has given me the privileges of being both mothered and mothering. Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of motherhood….
Happy Mother’s Day!!!!
