Rock on Moms!

" I guess what I have really discovered is the humanizing effect of children in my life - stretching me, humbling me. Maybe my thighs aren't as thin as they used to be. Maybe my getaways aren't as glamorous. Still, I like the woman that motherhood has helped me to become".

~ Susan Lapinski

So, yeah sure I get into all the mushy sentimental things about Mother's Day. I hold back the tears while inspecting the treasures my children make for me, I covet the homemade cards and notes, and so on.

I chose this quote today for a reason. Being a mother means something other than the fact that you have children ~ whether you bore them, adopted them, or claim them as your own. It means that you have changed. Evolved, if you will, into a different version of the pre-mother self you once were. A mother has learned to sacrifice, to enjoy giving of herself for the benefit of her children. A mother truly values the life of her child above her own, but has learned the delicate balance of taking care of herself too in order to enhance her mothering abilities(that one took me awhile to grasp). A mother has learned to do ten things at a time while watching all her children at once, while cooking supper for five. Whew!
Let's face it, Moms rule!

All the sentiment aside, my mother gave me a card yesterday that sums up motherhood in one four-word sentence.

"Holy crap, its hard".

Now, cutsie little hand print clay keepsakes aside, can we agree that that statement is most profound and screams the truth about being a "Mommy"?

I thought so.

Happy Mom's Day to all of you!

May you be showered with many construction-paper cards, hand print plates, painted clay flowerpots, and various other child creations made with love by the sticky, chubby-fingered hands of your favorite little people!