SpinnerBait_Nut
Honorary Moderator Emeritus
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2002
- Messages
- 17,651
This is for the mothers who have sat up all night<br />with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf<br />laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid<br />saying, & It's okay honey, Mommy's here.;<br /><br />Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end<br />soothing crying babies who can't be comforted.<br /><br />This is for all the mothers who show up at work with<br />spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their<br />blouses and diapers in their purse.<br /><br />For all the mothers who run carpools and make<br />cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the<br />mothers who DON'T.<br /><br />This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies<br />they'll never see. And the mothers who took those<br />babies and gave them homes.<br /><br />This is for the mothers whose priceless art<br />collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors.<br /><br />And for all the mothers who froze their buns on<br />metal bleachers at football or soccer games instead<br />of watching from the warmth of their cars, so that<br />when their kids asked, & "Did you see me, Mom?" <br />they could say, & "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for<br />the world," and mean it.<br /><br />This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids<br />in the grocery store and swat them in despair when<br />they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream<br />before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to<br />ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens.<br /><br />This is for all the mothers who sat down with their<br />children and explained all about making babies. And<br />for all the (grand)mothers who wanted to, but just<br />couldn't find the words.<br /><br />This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their<br />children can eat. For all the mothers who read<br />"Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And <br />then read it again. & "Just one more time."<br /><br />This is for all the mothers who taught their<br />children to tie their shoelaces before they started<br />school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro<br />instead.<br /><br />This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to<br />cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.<br /><br />This is for every mother whose head turns<br />automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" <br />in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are<br />at home -- or even away at college.<br /><br />This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to<br />school with stomach aches assuring them they'd be<br />just FINE once they got there, only to get calls<br />from the school nurse an hour later asking them to<br />please pick them up. Right away.<br /><br />This is for mothers whose children have gone astray,<br />who can't find the words to reach them.<br /><br />This is for all the step-mothers who raised another<br />woman's child or children, and gave their time,<br />attention, and love... sometimes totally unappreciated!<br /><br />For all the mothers who bite their lips until they<br />bleed when their 14 year olds dye their hair green.<br /><br />For all the mothers of the victims of recent school<br />shootings, and the mothers of those who did the<br />shooting.<br /><br />For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers<br />who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging<br />their child who just came home from school, safely.<br /><br />This is for all the mothers who taught their<br />children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home<br />safely from a war.<br /><br />What makes a good Mother anyway?<br />Is it patience?<br /><br />Compassion?<br /><br />Broad hips?<br /><br />The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a<br />button on a shirt, all at the same time?<br /><br />Or is it in her heart?<br /><br />Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or<br />daughter disappear down the street, walking to<br />school alone for the very first time?<br /><br />The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from<br />bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back<br />of a sleeping baby?<br /><br />The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M.<br />when you just want to hear their key in the door and<br />know they are safe again in your home?<br /><br />Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug<br />your child when you hear news of a fire, a car<br />accident, a child dying?<br /><br />The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our<br />thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through<br />diaper changes and sleep deprivation...<br /><br />And mature mothers learning to let go.<br /><br />For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.<br /><br />Single mothers and married mothers.<br /><br />Mothers with money, mothers without. This is for<br />you all. For all of us. Hang in there. In the end we<br />can only do the best we can. Tell them every day<br />that we love them.
