Girlfriends who traded in their wine glasses & tube tops for sippy cups & burp cloths.
Kindergarten mamas who sneak in lunch box notes & hold hands at bus stops.
A step-mom who never had children of her own, but doesn't think of us as anything but.
A mother in-law who brought my love into this world.
And, my mama.
It's the small moments with her that I remember most from my childhood: Christmas baking, heart shaped sandwiches, warm blankets after playing in the snow, bedtime stories, beach walks.
Did she make mistakes? Sure. Like when she bought me windsuit outfits & took me for perms. Evidence of these activities has been burned.
And while I hope that I inherited her "good genes" & might too be questioned as if I am an older sister one day, I hope I get her love the most. Because it's fierce.
A special kindergarten mama passed this poem onto me this week & I have thought about it all weekend. I want to make copies, throw them from the top staircase of a tall building, & plaster it all over my house. As a wishing/waiting/hoping Mama, I think this is a perfect take on motherhood & just a great life mantra as well.
If I had my child to raise over again ~ Diane Loomans
If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd finger paint more, and point the finger less.
I'd do less correcting, and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less, and know to care more.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging, and less tugging.
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.
I'd build self esteem first, and the house later.
I'd teach less about the love of power,
And more about the power of love.
Happy Mother's Day to all of you beautiful mamas out there. You are doing a great job.
Your mama is beautiful, just like you! Happy Mother's day to you mama in waiting:) Love ya!
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