I'm a Mom

I'm a mom.

I meet a lot of needs all day long.

I run a diner and maid service.

But I also teach cooking and cleanliness.

(Give a child a fish he eats for a day...teach him to fish, well...you get the point.)

I also do lots of laundry.  Most of it looks like this shirt.

I'm a mom.

I drag my kids out of bed for school at 7 AM on the weekdays and tell them to watch cartoons when they pop awake on their own at 6:15 AM on the weekends.

(Why do they do that??)

I smooth over hurt feelings and fights between siblings.

I apply bandaids.

(Both the physical and emotional kind.)

I sometimes find my kids' names written on the walls.

I'm my kids' biggest cheerleader.

I'm also the one who takes them to task when they do something wrong.

I expect a lot out of them,

but they know my number one goal is that they love God and others.

I try to balance reason and self-restraint with the overwhelming Mother Bear urge to smack anyone that hurts my children.

I mess up and hurt them myself sometimes.

I wish that weren't the case.

I'm a mom.

And all the door jambs in my house look like this...

I'm a mom.

I pray for my kids.

I pray with my kids.

I say a silent thank you for every warm embrace and slobbery kiss they offer me.

I take each day as it comes, knowing these kids don't belong to me.

I trust that God holds them in his hands much more securely than I do,

but I do relish the honor of parenting them the best I can.

What a gift.

I'm a mom.