Mothers Day Madness
The Various Shades of Mom's
What do we all have
in common -- or do
we?? So many shades. So many experiences -- so many different ways we have lived being a mother or an iteration thereof.
Moms come in all capacities. We were all sitting around this morning sharing and admiring each others Mom stories.. How when, what and why.. Interesting how all different shades of Mom have a theme -- a sense of love, peace and appreciation wether stepping in to be MOM for offspring from another mother or being a full time from the womb or never knowing the born one until after age 30. The sense of participation in the lives of others as a gift for all players in the game of life. One was told she never would have children and thought it was the flu, one never knowing the offspring until offspring age 30 one stepping in to take on three little ones and one being a single mom from 3 months on. Interesting -- then choosing to create a blog shades of MOM..A rich compilation of stories. Celebrating with colorful free range eggs, Super Food Mix Pancakes, blueberries, and organic grade B maple syrup, fruit salad fresh ghee and fresh picked orange juice and organic coffee.. Moms on caffeine - Great minds..Great sharing and inspiration. Paula
My mama told me: you better shop around.
She also told me the names and sounds of birds, the names of flowers and plants and trees, butterflies and constellations. She was a wise woman who was a warrior in some ways and a wall flower in others. She clothed herself in chiffon, dancing in her dreams on marble rooftops under the stars--and wanted that to be the reality of her daughters. Decades later, I now understand that part of her dream. Alicia
I always knew I'd have children...never doubted that, so never planned if or when that would happen...just that it would happen. As the date that the psychic predicted, that I would know for sure that I was pregnant, came...and I checked my notes months afterwards...when it was confirmed by my doctor's office, I just glided along for the 9 month ride. Since I "knew" that my firstborn would be a girl, I was so delighted to be able to use the name I had chosen and written down and placed on my dresser two years before!
Since I "knew" that my second child would be a boy, I never thought about girl names, and of course, I was blessed with my son, and I was complete...I had the perfect number, and one of each gender! Then, after having been with my partner of seven years, when my son was three months old, I decided that I now had the courage to go and "find myself", so off I went with my two babies, to see what I, and my life, was about.
It was the most difficult time I ever had in my life...raising two children as a single parent! Even though their dad and I shared the children every other weekend for many years (he lived in another town 1 1/2 hours away), I knew it was important for our children to have quality time with both parents...the whole experience was quite a juggling act for me...to be most of the time filling in for both parents, having a job where I could take my infants with me till they were old enough to go to preschool, cooking, cleaning, getting bills paid, crying when I couldn't make ends meet, and everything else that goes with single parenting.
Now, many years later...as my children are now adults, and I have grandchildren, I wonder every so often, how did I survive single parenting, and how did my children survive all my stressed out years!
I have been reminded many times how I came up short on providing the attention, security, and joy that they missed out on, I have also been reassured, many times, how much I am Loved, and as was written on my today's Mother's Day card...they wouldn't trade me for anything in the world! I Love them SO much, and am SO grateful that they have been in my life as my greatest teachers! I am so blessed! Deborah
I was a teen in the '60's. We were the generation that "got the pill". I never thought about having children, until I met my husband, who had custody of all three of his children, from his former marriage. I was deeply in love with him, and knew I was to spend the rest of my life with him. then I got the inner voice: My "calling" was to help to create a good nest for the children to grow up in a stable environment. I was 23. This was an amazing gift to me, and yet it had its challenges. We always tried to act as one unit, with family meetings and lots of "field trips". I loved experienced their growing up to be adults -- they had their challenges -- but today -- they are all unique, individual and fabulous people. I love them very much. As the basis of our marriage, we used Kahlil Griban -- "The Profit -- and it is so true on what he says about Children: "Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts. For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams." Now they are grown, with grandchildren of their own -- our tribe has tripled!!! It is truly amazing.
Sitting with my three friends, we all experienced "mothering" so differently... I was pure magic to experience it.
Thank you -- Oh Great Mother!! Who makes us, sustains us, and welcomes us back into your bossom!!
