A lovely lunch at historic "Tully's"I don't know why, but ever since I can remember, I have wanted nothing more than to be a mother. (Well, there was that brief dream I had of being a singer/dancer at Opryland) I'm quite certain that I was still playing "babies" long after most girls had stopped. When other girls headed outside to hang out after church, I headed to the nursery to hold babies. When my friends were being dropped off at the mall, I was babysitting.
I was blessed to become a mother when I was just days shy of turning 20 years old. Never had I felt such love or such fear all wrapped up into one single moment. All I knew was this...there was nothing I would not do, no train I would not jump in front of, no degree to which I would not go, to protect this precious life that had been placed on my chest.
Since that moment I have had two more beating hearts placed on my chest...Maggie and Aidan. Well, actually Aidan was not placed on my chest. He came a tad early so he was whisked away to be looked over by NICU and I was left romancing a nemesis basin. Don't ask me why I decided to have the kid with the shoulder span of a gorilla "au naturale"...good thing he wasn't the first or you would be reading "McManus Party of Three" folks.
Back to mothering.
Those three sweet babies have grown into beautiful, intelligent, funny, tender, God fearing, respectful, individuals that I adore. And genuinely enjoy spending time with. I love them so much it hurts. Their laughter and their smiles are what I live for.
And then there is Mothers Day...that's another thing I live for. It's not often in the life of a stay at home Homeschooling mom's life that you get to hear from your children just what you mean to them. And I get plum giddy over it.
So often I can second guess myself...worry that I'm doing it all wrong...wonder if one day they will pay some psychologist's retirement fund because of me. This is the one glorious day of the year that I get to see that they don't hate me for making them get back out of bed to brush their teeth when they forget at bedtime.
This year I was treated to a very healthy breakfast. Chocolate Gravy. :-) I can't even type it without smiling. :-) See?!?! Healthy for the soul at least. I was treated along with my mother in law to lunch at a neat little restaurant. There was peach cobbler. Again, I was smiling. :-) The rest of my day was spent just hanging with my favorite people and soaking up their affections.
My kids all made cards for me...it's the highlight of the day really. To see their feelings written out in their own handwriting is just the best feeling ever. I especially love how thin Aidan insists on drawing me. I like that kid.
This year Maggie brought me a little pail full of flowering weeds from outside. I'm so mad at myself for not taking a picture because they were just precious. That girl just melts me. She is one of the most thoughtful people I've ever met in my life. I was just so moved at the thought of her seeing those little weeds...thinking of me and just knowing that I would like them as much as she did. I loved it. More than my Lisa Leonard original...and if you've seen those, you know I mean business.
I have no idea why God chose me to care for and nurture these precious creatures, but I will spend my life trying to show my gratitude.
After all, they were His before they were mine...only on loan to me for a short while.
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"And whatever I do, may it always bring glory to you"
