A Mother in Zion: Mother’s Day Musings

This picture was taken last year but I like it because I am in it. I’m usually the one taking the pictures. :)

My child was the one you could hear stomping on the stand at the front of the chapel when all the other children were singing lovely songs as the prelude music for church today. He was also the child that decided to have a temper tantrum right as the Mother’s Day celebration program with Nate’s class was about to start on Thursday. But this was also the child that said “More vegetables, please.” And “I love you” and “You lay by me, mommy?” tonight at bedtime after I read him a book.

My child was the one who didn’t comb his hair, wear a tie or tuck in his shirt for church today. He was the one who laid on the floor in a heap when he was supposed to be helping clean his bedroom before dinner. But he was also the one that looked at me with heavy-lidded eyes as he was drifting off to sleep and said “Happy Mother’s Day, Mommy. I love you.

My child was the one who wouldn’t share his Legos with his younger brother during Sacrament meeting. This caused some distress on the part of said younger brother who had to be taken out because he was crying so loud. However, this was also the child that was so excited to give me the keychain he had made me that he smuggled it out of the Primary room to give it to me ahead of time. He was also the boy that told me I deserved more than the two flowers that I was presented with after church.

My child was the one who had to be told multiple times to turn off the video game he was playing and help set the table. He was the one who tried to tell his younger brothers to do the jobs I had assigned to him. He was also the child that spent most of his day yesterday working hard, power-washing an older man’s house to earn money for scout camp. He was the child that handed me a thank you note today that among other things, thanked me for teaching him to be respectful and grateful. He was also the child that gave me the biggest hug before going to bed.

Motherhood isn’t always easy, but as I have reflected on it the last few days my heart has been very tender and I’ve found myself overwhelmed with emotion more than once. As Nate was reading me a little poem (accompanied by his hand print)that he had copied down for me, I found myself choking up. My eyes filled with tears. I realized the truth in the words of that silly poem.

This is my hand.

My hand will do a thousand loving things for you.

And you will remember when I am tall

That once my hand was just this small.

It sounds cliché, but they do grow up so fast. When I was a new, young mother I didn’t really believe it, but now that I have a twelve year old and my baby is almost four I realize that the years have just flown by and they will be all grown and gone practically before I blink. So tonight, I did lay by my little boys while they fell asleep. I read them a story. I sang songs to them. One day they won’t want me to do those things anymore and that’s okay because that’s just the natural order of things, but I hope they won’t ever stop giving me hugs. Oh, how I need and cherish those hugs.