Mother's Day After-Glow

I hope all of you Mom's had the best day yesterday. It is one day a year that we get to be well... kind of selfish and try not to feel guilty and just enjoy it. Mother's Day has always meant a lot to me, a time to enjoy my mom, enjoy my children, reflect as a mother of where I've been and how I intend to move forward. This year was a bit different than in the past but I think perhaps the most special Mother's Day I've ever enjoyed with my children. Traditionally we have always gone to my Mom's house on Mother's day. We make a big to do with a homemade supper for her that my sister's and I share in labor, we bring gifts and sit on her patio all day and laugh and carry on while our children play with their cousins. A lovely day for all. Last year things changed a bit with Mom's new husband. We went to her new house with him in Springfield on a Friday night so that she could go with him to Indiana on Mother's Day to visit his mom. This year I was pretty sure that Mother's day with her would not happen at all so I prepared myself to enjoy the day with my children. As we grow things change and I had decided to embrace this change with anticipating spending a special day with just the children and it was sheer joy.

The day went like this. Each child went about bringing me their extra special treasures they had made for me one by one. Bri bought some flowers for us to plant together, Joseph made me the most beautiful hardback book...an adventure he had written about a boy and his mom in a big red bus-he had illustrated it too with the most creative pictures, Natalie had put her handprints on a little towel with her name painted beside her hands. Each one so different and each one so special. Then we went off to church and I enjoyed the Mother's day sermon with Chris' arm around me the whole service. After church the kids and I had some lunch and Chris went off to his Mom's to honor her. After lunch the kids and I headed to Richmond to see the movie Tooth Fairy which was delightful. During the car ride about 25 min. each way Bri read to us from a book about an Amish family she's been enjoying. I so loved hearing her read out loud, with each word I reflected of how grown up she is and how she has grown to be such a sweet person and I wondered how she will be as a mother some day. That evening I made a nice supper for us all. After kissing them goodnight and tucking them in tears welled in my eyes as I turned out the lights listening to Joe and Natty talking to one another saying "this was the best day in my whole life...we got to spend the whole day with just Mom"!
The melody to that song Amy Grant sings "Better than a Hallelujah Sometimes" played in my head much of the day and I thought I know what she means. Lately I cry out to Him so often, life can be hard. I think He must get tired of me asking Him to help me out. But then I think about my own children and how I never really get tired or worn of them needing me. I love them, I so want them to need me and I so need them. I thank God he entrusted them to me and with each caring look and each sweet word spoken that day I felt such a love from my babies and my heart was so full of joy I thought I might just bust wide open. With each tough discussion and each prayer for wisdom I think "Better than a hallelujah sometimes."
How blessed am I to have such a life as this and be loved so much by so many.
Brianna, Joseph and Natalie....you are the most special, unique, loving, caring, wonderful children and I thank God each day for allowing me the pleasure of being your mama. I consider it an honor this most special and absolutely most important job God gave me. I love each of you so deeply with all my heart. Thank you for such a lovely day, I shall cherish it always.