Mother's Day is the day we honor our Mothers. It is the day we tell them how much we appreciate all the hard work they do raising us, caring for us, loving us when we are our most unlovable. I think one statement that just sets me in a tail spin is the one where people, mostly men and women who have no children, is "Oh, you are just a mom." No, I am not 'just a mom'. Being a mother is a lot more than anyone can imagine. And, until you have your own children, you can't understand.
Those of us who have children know that being a mother is hard work. Being a mom means lack of sleep, lots of worrying, lots of love, hugs, kissing boo-boo's away. It's advising your children, it's playing cowboys and Indians, prince and princess, tea party's, play dates, first date, first prom, graduations, moving out, getting married. It's watching this creature you and your husband created, it's cheering them on, it's watching them make mistakes, it's watching them pick themselves up and hoping and praying they learned a lesson. It's night of lost sleep, it's praying they get better. It's football games, basketball games, cheer leading practice, dance recitals. It's teaching them to walk, talk, eat, to ride a bike, how to do _____________ (fill in the blank). It's seeing their first heart break. It's seeing their first love. It's laughter, it's tears. Above all, it's worth it!
This past weekend was Mother's Day. I hope everyone had a great day with their children. James decided to have a huge cook out for all of us. We had the whole gang here and lots of food, fun and good times. One person was 'missing' in all this fun, though. My son, Jacob, was stuck in the house, sick. We weren't sure if he had mumps, strep throat, or what. But, he was one sick kid. In all the fun and excitement, I would go inside and check on him, make sure he was 'okay', still breathing, or needed anything. I am not saying that I have a favorite child. I can't understand any parent favoring one child over another. But, when they are sick, be it Jessica or Jacob, I worry. I fret. I hover. I'm not too far away. I go in and check them to see if they are hot, cold, breathing! I will wake them up just to make sure they are still with me.
When all the fun was over, when everyone went home, James and I decided we needed to find out what was going on with Jacob. He had been sick for over a week and wasn't getting any better. So, we got in the car, and drove to the ER. Turns out, he has a really bad case of strep throat! We came home, I got this 17 year old in the bed and settled and went to bed. A few hours later, I got up to check on him and I didn't like the way he was breathing, so I woke him up and rearranged the pillows, and got out the humidifier and....hovered. I stayed in the room for a while, listening, watching, praying. Nothing is worse than seeing your child sick. No matter how old they are, it's terrifying to see them sick. You are at the mercy of whatever it is they have and most of the time, there is nothing you can do. You feel helpless. It's got to be the worse feeling in the world!
It's now Monday, and we have the medications needed for him to get better. Being a Mother is hard work, but it is the most rewarding work you will ever do. And, I wouldn't change it for any thing.
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