Mother's Day

This year on Mother's Day, I was able to be with both my mother and my children, so I was able to celebrate as both a mother and a child. I also enjoyed the day with my sister, Hope, and the only one of the "White girls" that was missing was my sister, Tori, and she was never far from our minds. (She was on her honeymoon, so if we had to miss her, what better reason could there be?). And though she left late Saturday night, Aunt Pam, a woman who has been like another mother to me, spent most of the weekend with us too. I was also able to spend the day with my best friend Ashley, another mother I greatly admire, and her two precious children, Jack and Cole. The weekend was a sea of mother-child relationships and dynamics. 

Each of the women in my home this weekend has influenced me and my own mothering style. And I wanted to remember out loud just a few of the things I've learned from them.

From my mom, I've learned to love my children unconditionally. I've learned how to know them as individuals. I've learned not to focus on missing the stages they've already been through, but to focus on enjoying each stage more because each day they become more the people God created them to be.

From Hope, I've learned that love has less to do with DNA and more to do with relationships. I've learned that self-sacrifice is one of the most powerful ways to show love and a quality that is absolutely essential to being a good mother. 

From Tori, I've learned that a child-like heart can be maintained at any age. I've learned that the ability to have fun, be fully present in a moment, and express true joy is an important component of nurturing my children.

From Aunt Pam, I've learned that when you love somebody, you will do what no one else wants to do (for example, make a late night ER trip, sleep on the floor of a college dorm, and move someone a billion times, including installing countless blinds!) I've also learned that the ability to laugh goes on a long way in difficult times.

From Ashley, I've learned that it is essential to have another mother in your same stage of life to talk and listen to; for while a person with perspective is important, being able to talk to someone who also works as a personal assistant to a grouchy preschooler can mean the difference

between crazy and sane. I've also learned that nothing bonds two women so much as striving together to mother well.  

I am thankful for each one of these women - the mothers and the mothers that will be. Of all the great gifts I've received from each of them, by far and away, the greatest is the love that each of them has for Sophie and Will. As I seek to be the best mom I can be, I 

know I am relying on their support. As I seek to fill up the treasure chests of my children's lives, I can't think of many things more precious than the love of these women.