Last week was Mother’s Day. The first words spoken to me that morning from one of my kids were “Go away.” Well.
I am a mom of three kids. My oldest is a nine year old girl, and my youngest are boy and girl twins that are seven. I LOVE being a mom! I currently work part time while my kids are in school and I have the wonderful blessing of being able to be mommy to them from the moment they come off the bus. Of course they want a snack right away and then its on to Adventures in Homework followed by the Supper Saga. Throw in weekly church services, meetings, and an occasional walk for some exercise, time for household chores, taking care of our dog, cat, chickens, and ducks, and doing the shopping and the laundry...this is my life. How many other amazing women are out there with similar things in their schedules?
I was a stay at home mom for five years starting immediately after my twins were born. I really did love that phase in my life, even though I did feel alone a lot of the time. When you are getting up in the middle of the night to feed babies, its so easy to feel that the whole world is asleep except you. My husband is a worship pastor and goes to church before the sun comes up every Sunday, so every week I get the kids up and we go in to service on our own. The first 18 months of the twins' lives, (before they were walking), this was especially difficult on my own! Imagine loading up a double stroller to walk 50 yards to the door in all kinds of weather and trying to keep the 2 year old from running into the street! Or going to the store because you're out of something REALLY important, like formula, diapers, or toilet paper! No trip is a fast trip, and one does tend to feel like others are looking when you are loading whatever you need into the bottom of the stroller because you can not manage to push along a cart as well!
(I do want to add, I have a wonderful husband who has always helps me out whenever he can, but its impossible to think that he could be home all the time. We live far enough out of town that it has always made the most sense for him to run quick errands if he is able to before coming home from work or church, or for me to bring the kids in with me if it's something that can't wait.
I am a mom of three kids. My oldest is a nine year old girl, and my youngest are boy and girl twins that are seven. I LOVE being a mom! I currently work part time while my kids are in school and I have the wonderful blessing of being able to be mommy to them from the moment they come off the bus. Of course they want a snack right away and then its on to Adventures in Homework followed by the Supper Saga. Throw in weekly church services, meetings, and an occasional walk for some exercise, time for household chores, taking care of our dog, cat, chickens, and ducks, and doing the shopping and the laundry...this is my life. How many other amazing women are out there with similar things in their schedules?
I was a stay at home mom for five years starting immediately after my twins were born. I really did love that phase in my life, even though I did feel alone a lot of the time. When you are getting up in the middle of the night to feed babies, its so easy to feel that the whole world is asleep except you. My husband is a worship pastor and goes to church before the sun comes up every Sunday, so every week I get the kids up and we go in to service on our own. The first 18 months of the twins' lives, (before they were walking), this was especially difficult on my own! Imagine loading up a double stroller to walk 50 yards to the door in all kinds of weather and trying to keep the 2 year old from running into the street! Or going to the store because you're out of something REALLY important, like formula, diapers, or toilet paper! No trip is a fast trip, and one does tend to feel like others are looking when you are loading whatever you need into the bottom of the stroller because you can not manage to push along a cart as well!
(I do want to add, I have a wonderful husband who has always helps me out whenever he can, but its impossible to think that he could be home all the time. We live far enough out of town that it has always made the most sense for him to run quick errands if he is able to before coming home from work or church, or for me to bring the kids in with me if it's something that can't wait.
Now that some time has gone by and I have returned to the working world and seeing and talking to real live full grown people on a daily basis, I see so many others that are in the same stage of life--motherhood! Somehow, it is mostly during my trips to the grocery store WITHOUT the kids that I notice the moms with their kids by their sides. When other moms have to apologize to me for their kids running out in front of me in the aisle. When children out in public are misbehaving and the poor mom is doing her best at handling it. I'm not alone in this motherhood thing. How can I feel like the only one? I know I am certainly not the only mom who has ever felt that I'm alone.
Now I can see there are so many groups out there for moms. Meetings in homes, parks, or churches; communities of women that are there for each other. I wish I had known of some of these back during my lonelier days. I wish I hadn't HAD those lonely days.
I guess I might have felt that my situation was different than others' because of the close proximity of my kids' ages and my need for a huge stroller just to get from Point A to Point B. Anywhere that had an entrance with two sets of double doors was off limits to me. I didn't want to think about how I would open the door, and keep it open while guiding the stroller through, then my toddler, and then try and keep that door open while opening up the next set of doors (because there's not much space between the double doors, are you with me?) and continuing to push/pull/squeeze the stroller, myself, and my toddler all the way through. Not many places are made with double strollers in mind (and why would they need to be for such a small percentage of the population?)
Its funny now to think that something as simple as a stroller kept me from feeling more connected with the world.
Now I can see there are so many groups out there for moms. Meetings in homes, parks, or churches; communities of women that are there for each other. I wish I had known of some of these back during my lonelier days. I wish I hadn't HAD those lonely days.
I guess I might have felt that my situation was different than others' because of the close proximity of my kids' ages and my need for a huge stroller just to get from Point A to Point B. Anywhere that had an entrance with two sets of double doors was off limits to me. I didn't want to think about how I would open the door, and keep it open while guiding the stroller through, then my toddler, and then try and keep that door open while opening up the next set of doors (because there's not much space between the double doors, are you with me?) and continuing to push/pull/squeeze the stroller, myself, and my toddler all the way through. Not many places are made with double strollers in mind (and why would they need to be for such a small percentage of the population?)
Its funny now to think that something as simple as a stroller kept me from feeling more connected with the world.
Everyone's got a story. There's a snippet of mine. I'm sure there will be many more to follow this post, but I really want to encourage any young mom reading this: You're not alone! Just think, when you are up in the middle of the night for a need, how many other mommies are up too? Making bottles, soothing cries, nursing fevers, praying for peace after bad dreams, fetching drinks of water....the list goes on and on. Every time you're folding a load of laundry, think of how many other mommas are too. If you're staying home because someone isn't feeling well, you're in good company!
So, Happy Mother's Day! You are uniquely special, and needed in an extraordinary way. Even when your good intentions of getting your children up on time are met with a groggy "Go away," they are thankful. They are appreciative. Because without you, nothing would be the same. Keep it up, lovely lady.
So, Happy Mother's Day! You are uniquely special, and needed in an extraordinary way. Even when your good intentions of getting your children up on time are met with a groggy "Go away," they are thankful. They are appreciative. Because without you, nothing would be the same. Keep it up, lovely lady.