Believe me, I know all moms feel that way and that’s nothing to be trifled with. We’ve earned it, its our right to feel this about our children. I’m not saying mine are any more beautiful, I’m just saying that I love to look at them. I love to watch as they do the most mundane of tasks. Even after all these years, I will watch the Girl and think “I made her. I put her here on this planet.” And it moves me. I feel the exact same way about my boys, the Marine and the Skater. To watch them, to see how they interact with others, I’m like “I did that! I put him here for you to enjoy!”
Recently, the Girl wanted to go with me to see Grandma after her chemo. I was worried because medicine/hospitals/sickness has never been a strong point for the Girl. But she wanted to see Grandma and join the fight against breast cancer. When I picked her up, she had a lot of stuff to take. She had packed her foot spa, bought all new nail goodies, polishes and lotions. She knew that Grandma had been too sick to get out to the salon. She planned to bring the salon to Grandma.
One morning, the Girl had set up a beautiful station in the kitchen with a comfy chair and a nice warm footbath for Grandma. Let me tell you, Grandma wouldn’t have gotten an
y better going to some fancy schmancy spa in Dallas. As I watched her go about the task of washing Grandma’s feet and massaging her toes, I was so proud of her. For all the years of screaming and arguing and being the most unfair mother in the world, I had a daughter who was so kind and giving of herself. Someone who wanted someone else to feel beautiful and pampered. When I told her how special I thought she was, she was all Oh Mo’om, it was just a pedicure. (some things never change) but I could tell she was happy. That’s pretty awesome, and I made that.I’ve been a mother for 25 years and I’m still in awe. Still surprised that these humans are my creation, my gift. And yep, it still moves me. I hope it always does.
My children, no matter what paths they may take in life, will still be the closest things to perfect I’ll ever make. So I think I’ll sit in my empty little nest, make myself a drink and congratulate myself on a job well done. Oh, and wait for grandbabies!
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ReplyDeleteYou described mothering perfectly. It is sometimes hard for us to see how wonderful our children are. Throughout the early teenage years, I was constantly thinking about what they could be, if they would only try a little harder. But more and more often, I'm filled with such pride at what they have become. I still find myself wishing they would try a little harder to become a little more, but I'm also finding it harder to see things to complain about... and am just proud - period. We are great mothers, aren't we!
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