To Every Mom

On this Mother’s Day, I am reflective and grateful for the gift of motherhood, and for all of the women who have been a mother to me.  I am grateful to my mom, who I am sure is the source of my own positive outlook. 

I am grateful to all of the women who have mothered me over the years.  Women who have held me, consoled 

me, led me, taught me.  They are each instrumental in who I am today.  

And I am grateful for the many women I am blessed to walk with on this journey of motherhood.  Friends I can call anytime of the day or night, friends who have raised their children ahead of mine, and friends who are in the trenches with me now.  I could honestly not mom the way I do without all of these wonderful, special moms in my life.

So today, I say happy Mother’s Day, moms…to all of the moms…to every of the moms.  What you do does not go unnoticed.

Happy Mother’s Day to the mom who cried when she read a “positive” pregnancy test.

And to the mom who cried when she didn’t.

To the mom who cannot sleep at night because the baby inside of her is bigger and restless.

To the mom who cannot sleep because her children are older and rowdy.

To the mom who cannot sleep until that big grown-up child finally pulls into the driveway.

Happy Mother’s Day to the mom who packs organic lunches.

To the mom who buys the lunches.

To the mom who says, “You’re seven, pack your own lunch.”

To the mom who cannot go to the bathroom alone.

To the mom who cannot shower alone.

To the mom who cannot sleep alone.

To the mom who works and goes to college to finish that degree.

To the mom who works two jobs to make sure her daughter has what she needs to fulfill her dreams.

To the mom who goes back to work, frightened and unsure, after years of being home with the kids.

To the mom who rushes out to go pump.

To the mom who wears baby “spit up” to work.

To the mom who doesn’t even realize it’s on her shirt until she goes home and takes it off.

Happy Mother’s Day to the mom who is looking for quiet time.

And to the mom who finds it too quiet.

To the mom who is watching the clock until the kids go to bed.

To the mom who is watching the calendar until the kids come home to visit.

To the mom who mothered more than her own children.

To the mom who never had children of her own.

Happy Mother’s Day to the mom who works hand in hand with her partner.

And to the mom who is doing all of this all on her own.

Happy Mother’s Day to the mom who forgot the leotard and stopped at Target to buy another on the way to gymnastics class.

To the mom who forgot to send her child’s medicine to school, so she left work to deliver it.

To the mom who forgot about band rehearsal (again) and had to send a note to the band director (again).

To the mom who looks to others for guidance and examples.

To the mom who is that example to others.

To the mom who sees her mother’s hands when she looks down at her own.

To the mom who sees her mother’s face when she looks into the mirror.

To the mom who would do anything to see her mother’s face again, even if only one more time.

To the mom who has experienced great joy.

To the mom who has experienced great loss.

To the mom who has experienced both.

Moms, you are a pillar of strength, a fortress of beauty. You are a tuck-in and a kiss on the forehead, you are a flashlight on a stormy night, you are hot chocolate in front of the fireplace. You are all things good and warm and familiar and safe. 

The truth is, the world would literally not be possible without you!

Happy Mother’s Day, moms!