Friday, May 7, 2010

Sunday is Mother's Day. I am so very blessed to have 3 beautiful children, an amazing husband and a supportive extended family who all help me as I travel down this path of motherhood. I decided today would be a great day to reflect on why I love being a mom.

1. Being Inspired . I may not be following the path I had dreamed up for myself, but I take great pride in my current accomplishment of bringing 3 wonderful children into the world. I am inspired with each of their small accomplishments to give them the best tools so that they can one day grow up to be successful, happy and accomplished individuals.

2. Being an Entertainer. I always dreamed of entertaining parties and coordinating them. Today I have a pretty amazing audience of 3. My days are filled with antics to entertain my crowd and while not all are successful we usually end up with a house full of laughter. I believe laughter is infectious and you can't help but put a smile on your face when you hear the sweet sounds of a child's giggle.

3. Being a Teacher. I come from a family full of teachers and never wanted that to be my career, however I am learning that as a mother it is one of the many hats I wear. I truly enjoy the opportunities to teach my children. I love being able to teach them new things through arts and crafts, books, fun explorations & outings. It is so rewarding to see the sheer joy on their faces as they discover something new.

4. Being Young at Heart. Having kids gives me permission to dance in the rain, talk in funny voices, lay in the grass and watch the clouds go by, bake cookies just because and have tea parties. I try to embrace the gentle reminder from my little ones to stop and enjoy the simple pleasures in life.

5. Being Appreciated. I have to admit I don't always feel this way, but then again I don't know any mom who always does. If I have learned anything at all from being a mom is that it is hard work and often times the many things you do go unnoticed. However, those rare and precious moments tend to sneak up on you just at the right moment; a sweet hug for no reason and a "Mommy, I love you" remind me just what a special job I have.

I owe thanks to a lot of people for helping me make my "job" as mom so enjoyable. My husband who always knows when to make me laugh and loves to give the kids their baths! My parents who were patient with me (and still are), set an excellent example and love babysitting for days at a time. My friends who understand (and don't mind when all you do is talk about your kids) and love having "girls night". To my mother-in-law, for always lending a helping hand and offering to lighten my load when I need it most. To each of you I say THANK YOU!