thoughts about Mother's Day..

I dread Mother's Day some years because I was given a mother that expects to be treated with all the blessings that comes with being a mom with out have actually done any of the work. I struggle picking out a card for her that is often filled with lies...she wasn't a "support to me" she wasn't "there for me" she didn't love me unconditionally. So it's hard to here her complain on mother's day about how I was the only one that sent her card, or a gift, when she doesn't even realize that it's out of the love and grace that I have been given by others that allows me to even give to her at all. And yet every Mother's Day I still seek to honor and cherish her even though she doesn't deserve it because the truth that God brings back to me every year and through all the struggles is that my mother is my mother and she could have aborted me but instead chose to give me life. I respect and honor and love her for that one act of love that she showed.

Now, I'm a mother. I often don't have a clue about what I am doing and most of the time i feel completely inadequate but the Lord reminds me of all the other examples of motherhood that he has given me through out my life. The first was my  grandmother, then came Vanessa, then there was Amy, and  Shirley, then Tiffany, and now Heather. And of course there is my mother-in-law.

All of these women have played an important role in my growth as Mother. My grandmother spent the sleepless nights and gave me the loving hugs, the listening ear when I was young and into my early teens. Vanessa showed me how to handle the toddler years ;) and was always a source of comfort and encouragement in my late teens. Amy and Shirley nurtured my soul in a way that was different than that when I was a teenager they helped bring about a different kind of maturity through my college years. Tiffany, through her blogs, reminds me of how blessed I am to be a mother and she really inspires me to embrace every moment of it, even the ones where I feel like I'm about to pull out my hair...lol. And Heather is showing me a different stage of Motherhood one that is navigating the young child stage into the pre-teen stage all while trying to adopt and entirely different stage, her words of wisdom and constant love and support are huge to me. And of course I can't forget my mother-in-law...that relationship is still a work in progress but I am learning about the kind of grandmother I want to be someday through her :)

Each of these women have all parented differently, each are very different women but God has used all of them to develop a very unique me. And so while my biological mom gets the credit and respect and love for bringing me into this world these 6 precious women get the credit for doing some of the hard work that my mother didn't do, through out the years they have poured there love and support into my life and have helped develop and mature me. God has used them mightly and I am at a point where I gladly call them friends but I thank them for doing what my mother wasn't able to do.Thank you for loving me, investing in me, and showing me "good" paths to walk on. I learn in many different ways from each of you what Motherhood is really all about and I will eternally be grateful to our Heavenly Father for "working all things out" for my good.

 I have been given a unique perspective of parenting through the eyes of many others. I have been able to glean from each one of these women things that I practice now in raising my own children. I have been given a gift that many other women aren't always opened to receiving.

So if you are one of these women Happy Mother's Day and thank you for being apart of mine in my heart :)