Grateful Mom

Today has been a busy day, for Mother's Day (a day early), D did a lot of honey-do projects that I have been asking for and that was fabulous. We followed that with a family outing to the minor league baseball team in our area where it was Scout Night and our little scout got to go out to the field, and he loved that. We all ate way too much and spent too much money on bad - yet tasty - food. We are home now, D is writing a sermon and I have just finished up homework and I am thinking about Mother's Day.

I just reconnected with a friend who had endured the hardships of our Cambodian adoptions (both of us having adopted twins from the same orphanage). She lives in a nearby state and we had always thought we would raise our kids to know each other. Well, life happens and we grew apart and I had not talked to her for over a year when the earthquake happened a few weeks ago and I started thinking of her a lot. I felt like God was telling me to get in touch with her - so I finally found her on Friday. A lot has happened in the last year and she is now divorced, and while sad, it is probably a good thing for her and her children, a healthier and happier environment. All of this to say, I am reflecting on children and loss and Mother's Day.

I know that Mother's Day is largely a commercial enterprise for businesses, especially in the United States. But the day signifies that I am among the league of women who are called Mother (sometimes MOMMMEEEE, sometimes mama). I did not come about this title through the traditional route, rather it was a blessing bestowed on me through the gift of the first mother, the birth mother. I honestly don't think about the birth parents too much, our children are so much OUR CHILDREN that it rarely crosses my mind that they did not start out with us. But, the fact is that they didn't, someone else carried them and nourished them in the beginning of their lives. Someone else made the decision that they could not parent them and unselfishly decided that they wanted better for them than they could provide at that time. Those decisions allowed me to become Mom to the most amazing children on the planet.

So, I wanted to take this moment to thank these women for their gifts of Doodle, Meesta and Shenzy, without them my life would be very different and much more empty. I love them without reserve and hope you somehow know that they are cared for, treasured, held, educated, corrected, played with, laughed with, (sometimes yelled at), kissed, hugged, nourished, cultured, and loved to the very fiber of their beings on a daily basis. We are blessed beyond belief.

Happy Mother's Day to all my friends who are mothers and to all those who have mothered you, in whatever way.

Blessings,
CC