Sunday, May 9, 2010

mother may i?

I wrote this for our church youth group a few years ago to demonstrate how much their mothers loved them, even as they entered adolescence.

Things I gave up (for awhile) to be a Mom:
Going to the movies at the last minute
Waiting until dinnertime to figure out what to make
Watching commercial TV between 7 am & 7 pm
Long, warm, relaxing baths
Spending an entire Saturday going to garage sales
Reading a grown-up book during daylight hours
Dogs
Three rooms in our house
Sleeping in
Sleeping through the night
A paid teaching job
The backseat of my car
A consistently clean & orderly house
Dry-clean-only clothes
Privacy
Leisurely dining in a restaurant
Sick days
A modeling career*
Weekends in Vegas*
A life of crime*

*sarcasm

Things I’ve learned since becoming a Mom:
Never pass up an opportunity to nap
My right hand is actually functional
Your own child’s barf is not so gross
Babies can exhaust a jumbo pack of diapers in one day
Diapers are expensive
How to power-clean the house quickly
The mall is a torture chamber
What I do means more than what I say
A well-timed snack can do wonders
Accept only the first appointment of the day when scheduling picture-taking
Which businesses offer drive-through service, free food samples, & kid-friendly carts
Always have on hand stickers, lip balm, washable ink pen, and a lump of clay
Ice cream is a legitimate breakfast food
Kids will repeat anything that comes out of your mouth
Nothing I gave up is worth as much as being a mom

Me with my little sister and mom, 1984
Though I know she would be aghast,
I love my mom's tired look in this picture;
it's so authentic. And I totally get it now.


~ Happy Mothers Day to everyone who has taken on the job ~