It's Mother's Day.
The one day each year that is dedicated to celebrating the massive amount of work it takes to be a mom.
I'm not just talking about the physical work.
The diaper changing, the endless carrying and rocking when they are babies.
The chasing, the picking up after, the bedtime struggles when they are toddlers.
The frantic sprinting out the door to get to all of the activities and sporting events.
No, not just that.
Also, the mental work. The sheer brain power required to raise children.
The calendaring, the tracking of logistics, the remembering of all of the details, the signing of all of the papers.
Why are there so many papers to sign??
The worrying and hoping that they are going to be okay when they grow up.
And then one day...
One day it all starts to slow down.
One day, you look up, and there's less chaos in life.
The kids are almost grown and doing their own laundry, driving themselves to all the things, fixing the stuff around the house that you can't fix, buying their own clothes, making their way through college, even cooking their own meals.
One day, you look up, and realize that you've done your job. That they are on the path to building their own lives.
It's beautiful and bittersweet all at the same time.
People ask me if I miss having little ones around.
The honest answer is...sometimes, but not really.
Yes, I miss the snuggles and the cuddles and their precious little boy voices.
But I don't miss the stress and the exhaustion and the struggle.
And, I wouldn't trade this time of life for anything in the world.
I have amazing adult(ish) conversations with both of my boys now.
They still hate that I ask so many questions, but they humor me more now that they are older.
I am pretty sure I've learned more from them than they have me from me too.
And I have more days now where I can sit in the quiet.
On the boardwalk, in a chair overlooking the lake. Reflecting on the journey that has been motherhood.
For those of you moms in the thick of the chaos right now, I feel you.
It's one of the hardest parts of life, those days with young ones.
But one day...
One day, they won't be so little anymore.
They'll be taller than you, and when they wrap you up in a hug with arms stronger than yours, you'll probably get teary-eyed like I do.
And you'll look back and smile, realizing just how far they (and you!) have come.
Happy Mother's Day!
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