Who and What is a Mom?

This blog is in memory of Mary and Shirley.

A mom is someone's daughter.

A sister

A school girl

A chatty giddy teen

A working girl of a college girl

A girlfriend

 An excited young woman with a fiancee

A blushing or not so blushing bride in a pure white or off white wedding gown

A toast to the husband.  "here is to chicken when you are hungry, champagne when you are dry, your pretty woman when you need her and paradise when you die."

A toast to the new wife.  "You ain't seen nothing yet. May the force be with you."

 A young wife struggling to be perky, sexy, smart, and above all constantly reading about how to keep her man come hell or high water. Everyone knows a married man is fair game.

A whiz in the kitchen or wondering what-the-hell saute means.

And then a mother and a complete and different life change and the fear of being a real live mom, responsible for another human being takes over every waking minute.

And the mom-in-waiting prepares.  Finally, the long awaited day arrives.  Her baby, the most beautiful one in the world, is placed in her arms for the very first time and in an instant the fear is gone and replaced with a love a different kind of love .  IT IS UNCONDITIONAL and no matter what - it is always there.  A perfect love in an imperfect human being.

And now let the games begin: finally sleep at 5:00am up at 6:00am bathing, feeding, diapering, dressing, walks because the fresh air is good for the baby, lunch time, perhaps the baby will nap.  Did I brush my teeth today or comb my hair?  Oh well.  Thank God the baby is asleep.  I think I will take a little nap.  Let preparing dinner wait.

Give the hubby soup and a sandwich.  He will understand.  NOT.

Hope you like what you are doing because you will repeat it over and over again.  But take heart.  The force is with you.

Family grows and it isn't always a charm.  Time if of the essence.  Money is tight.  Relationships die.  New relationships come into play and stay.  Dreams are just that and sometimes you want to stop the world and get off but you don't because YOU ARE A MOM.  Not perfect but you are dancing as fast as you can to keep the music going.  The question, "Is anything right here?" comes to mind quite often.

But look around you.  Look at your children.  YOU DID RIGHT.

According to Kahil Gibran You knew your children were not your children.  They were the sons and daughters of life's longing for itself.

They came through you but not from you.

And thought they are with you, they belong not to you.

You gave them your love but not your thoughts.  They gave their own thoughts.

You housed their bodies but not their soul, for their souls dwell in thet house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life does not go backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bow from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness.  For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.
WHAT IS A MOM?  A fearless warrior always aiming her arrows so they may go swift and far but not always able to control the shift of the wind.

YOUR MOM gave you the greatest gift of all - the freedom to make your own mistakes and mend them to follow your own path and walk the walk.  Above all she loved you with the most unconditional love that an imperfect human being can summon.  How do I know that?  Because, I am a Mom, too.

Great job oh good and faithful archer.  May the force continue to be with you!