Mother's Day

Before I had a baby, I actually had pretty strong feelings about Mother's Day.

I dutifully celebrated it of course, with genuine love and appreciation for my mom and grandmothers, which was [hopefully] merely a continuation of the love and appreciation felt all year long.

BUT...for me, the day has always shared a border with the Land of Annoying. First of all, it's on a Sunday...so every year at church, the mothers get a carnation, the sermon may or may not be mother-themed, mothers even sometime stand up to be recognized.

While nothing about any of these things is inherently wrong per se, I couldn't help but think of all the ladies in the room who weren't able to stand and be recognized or wear a pinned carnation. I couldn't help but think of the children in the room who'd lost their mothers, or had a tough relationship with theirs. What about the ladies in the room who longed desperately to become mothers, but for some reason or another hadn't yet, or couldn't?

It just seemed like too much emotional baggage for one (sorta lame?) minor Hallmark holiday.

Now that I am a mommy, the opinions stated above have not really changed. I appreciate the efforts to make all the nurturing women of the world feel valued and blessed on this day. Whether you are mother to five children or a goldfish, you surely deserve to be appreciated for nurturing love and intention you share with the world.

But inside the private setting of our home, I'll enjoy the day of being slightly pampered and celebrated for this most wonderful work of mommy-ing (that, for all its blessing and fun, is still a lot of work).

And I'll continue to be thankful for the wonderful woman who brought me into this world...and continues to mother me with such love and thoughtful care. I'm so thankful for her and the same love she shares with my daughter.

I'm also thankful for all of the women who have been used by the Holy Spirit and shared themselves with me over the years, to help make me the person I am today...on my first Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful women of the world who share themselves with others. Yes, YOU!