A Mom Blog

It is a typical Wednesday morning and I am weeding through my emails. I received a whole bunch of "Mother's Day" promotional emails which reminded me this special day is soon approaching. I was also diverted to Facebook and a picture of one of my kids popped up from 4 years ago of the two of us on a school bus going on his first field trip to the Museum of Science and Industry. I think at the time I didn't appreciate how special that memory would be. I remember arriving at this super cool museum and all the kids could do were ask when they can have lunch, never mind all the cool displays all around them. The picture is a sweet reminder of that time with my little guy. When they are young, it is amazing how much they change in four years. I remember when I was in the baby/toddler years with my three kids and so many people would say "Enjoy these days as they go by so fast!" I knew that was true but at the time I was actually glad to hear that. Don't get me wrong - I would love to go back to those days but at the time, juggling it all was a challenge to say the least.

Right now my youngest is 9 and my oldest just turned 14. We are in the stage called "the Zone", or at least I think that is what it is called. This stage is where your kids are old enough to take care of themselves (I'm no longer wiping stinky butts and dressing them) yet they still, for the most part, like to be with you. Of course the teenager would probably pick hanging out with her friends first but she doesn't mind me being around her friends. I'm ok with that! I really love this stage that we are in and I know the next four years are going to go crazy fast. I'll have a kid graduating high school for goodness sakes! I have seen many of my nieces and nephews graduate and that is always such a crazy transition. Sending my kids off to college or wherever they go seems like it would be really hard. For now, I am trying to make a huge effort to not get caught up in the craziness of life and to enjoy the time I have with these kids. I love the times we have sitting around the dinner table together, watching a movie, going on short trips or even just being their glorified chauffeur. You learn a lot about your kids in a car!

This Mother's Day I feel super thankful to be a mom. It is such a privilege to watch these three kiddos grow up. I'm especially thankful as I know things can change very quickly. In my son's grade school, two beautiful mother's lost their battle with breast cancer this year. Even though I didn't know them personally, it is heartbreaking to think of the loss for their family, friends, husbands and especially their kids. I have also heard about a local family that recently lost their teenage son. These stories are so difficult to hear but they are a reality for so many people.

As Mother's Day approaches, it is a great time to reflect on all that I have to be thankful for. I'm thankful for having a mom that raised us five kids in a wonderful home where faith came first and family time was so important. I'm so thankful for good health that my family and I have right now as I know that can change at any time. On this coming Mother's Day, whether you are a mom or not, remember that this can be a difficult day for so many. Whether they are mourning the loss of a loved one or dealing with difficult circumstances that are beyond what you can imagine, take the time to reach out to those that might be having a difficult day. Also take the time to be thankful for the things you do have.