Mommy - My Favorite Title EVER

In my life so far, I've been a lot of things - a daughter, a sister, a student, a lawyer, a friend, a coworker, an award recipient, an elected official, a citizen, a voter, and so on. But hands-down, my favorite title is that of Mommy. And I do love hearing Morgan call me that ... well, except during the tantrums when it's being used to lament something I am unjustly depriving her of.

Being a Mom is the single hardest job/task I have ever undertaken. I never realized just how trying, tiring, and stressful it could be -- which makes me really cranky when people assume that because I am a stay-at-home mom I must be living the good life, eating bon bons on the couch, and wondering what to do with my lavish amounts of free time. For real, this is difficult work. And maybe I am just saying that because I'm bearing through the toddler years, but I kinda bet that each successive stage will present its own challenges.

However, it's the little things that make this job rewarding - like hearing Morgan call me Mommy now that she can talk, seeing her exuberant smile first thing in the morning or after a nap, hearing her squeals of delight or peals of laughter, watching her joyfully run to her Daddy when he comes home each day, feeling her cuddle into me while reading a book. I pray that God will always help me to see these so-called "little" things and that they would always be enough to outweigh the pressures and stresses of the bigger and seemingly more burdensome things. Lord, help me to see the blessing you have created my child to be ... and on THOSE days, the patience to wait until I see it.

So to my Moms and all other moms of one form or fashion in my life, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! Thanks for all you do :) Here's a cute poem that you've probably already received via email forward a million times but is worth the read. My favorite line is the one that says, "I never knew I would love being a mom." So true.

BEFORE I WAS A MOM

Before I was a Mom;
I made and ate hot meals,
I had unstained clothing,
I brushed my hair every day,
I had quiet conversations on the phone,
I slept as late as I wanted and I slept all night long.

Before I was a Mom;
I cleaned my house each day,
I never tripped over toys or forgot lullabies,
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous,
I had never been puked on, pooped on, spit on, chewed on, peed on, or
pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a Mom;
I never thought about immunizations,
I never held a screaming child so the doctors could give shots,
I never looked into teary eyes and cried,
I never felt my heart break into pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt,
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

Before I was a Mom;
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down,
I never sat up late hours of the night watching a baby sleep,
I never got up in the middle of the night to make sure everything was okay,
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

Before I was a Mom;
I had complete control of my mind, my thoughts and my body,
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside of my body,
I didn't know that having something so small could make me feel so important,
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment, or the satisfaction of being a mom.

Before I was a Mom;
I never knew that something so small could effect my life so much,
I never knew that I could love someone so much,
I never knew I would love being a Mom,
I didn't know the bond between a Mother and her child,
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much.