Mothers Day ....

I originally posted this back in 2007 .... and I love it so much that I figured I'd post it again.

Happy Mother's Day to ALL Moms ....
and all you Dads who play the role of Mom.
You're all amazing!



This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry
Kool-Aid saying, "It's okay honey, Mommy's here."
Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end
and walked endless miles soothing crying babies
who can't be comforted.
This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair, milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.
For all the mothers who run carpools, make cookies and sew Halloween
costumes.
And all the mothers who DON'T.
This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see.
And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.
This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on
their refrigerator doors.
This is for all the the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at
football or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their
cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me, Mom?" they could
say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.
This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store
in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice
cream before dinner.
And for all the mothers who count to ten instead,
but realize how child abuse happens.
This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and
explained all about making babies.
And for all the (grand) mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words.
This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat.
For all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year..
And then read it again. "Just one more time."
This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their
shoelaces before they started school.
And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.
This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their
daughters to sink a jump shot.
This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little
voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring
are at home -- or away at college or long grown and gone.
This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach
aches assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get
calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick
them up. Right away.
This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the
words to reach them.
This is for all the blended family mothers who raised another woman's birth
child or children, and gave their time, attention, and love... sometimes totally
unappreciated!

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their
14-year-olds dye their hair green.
For all the mothers of the victims of violence, and the mothers of those who committed the crime.
For the mothers of the world's survivors, the mothers who sat in horror, hugging their children.
This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful,
and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good Mother anyway?
Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips?
The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt,
all at the same time? Or is it in her heart? Is it the ache you feel
when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking
to school alone for the very first time? The jolt that takes you from
sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back
of a sleeping baby? The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M.
when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are safe
again in your home? Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug
your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for
young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation...
And mature mothers learning to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.
Single mothers and married mothers.
Mothers with money, mothers without.
Men taking on the role of Mothers.

This is for you all.
For all of us.
Hang in there.
In the end we can only do the best we can.

Tell them and show them every single day that we love them.

Mom,
I just want to say thank you .
Thank you for giving me life.
Thank you for showing me how to laugh.
Thank you for showing me how to be heard.
Thank you for showing me how to live with class, grace and dignity ....
even as you stared death in the eyes.
Thank you for the teaching me to love the life we have.
Thank you for all the lessons you taught me ....
even the ones you couldn't be here to show me.
Thank you for teaching me how to LIVE.

Happy Mother's Day Mom!
I love you .....
I miss you.

Always in my heart, forever in my mind ....

T