One More Day - Happy Mother's Day!

{Original image found here.}

I leave tomorrow morning to go get Katie.  

The irony of me leaving tomorrow to pick up our little girl and today being Mother's day is not lost on me.

The most important thing I will ever do is be a mama.

This boy made me a mama.

He quickly taught me that being a mama is what I am supposed to do.

He also taught me that it's not easy, glamorous, or always fun.

And then he taught me that the parts that are not easy, glamorous, or always fun are usually the parts that make it the most worthwhile.

He makes being a mama easy.

He taught me that six years old is a fabulous age, that one of the parts of being a mama I like the most is the midnight snuggle and feeding of a newborn baby, and that I was strong enough to parent two little babies at the same time.

He makes being a mama chaotic!  He is like a 43 pound tornado, leaving laughter and a mess in his wake, everywhere he goes.  He has taught me that a 4 year old can be the most charming person in the room, that his sweet kisses and hot baby breath are exactly what I need after a crazy day at work, and how thankful I am for our medical insurance, since he's had surgery, a week long hospitalization, two broken bones, and three facial lacerations in four years.  

She has taught me that being a mama happens in ways I could never have anticipated or predicted.  She has taught me more about myself and the people I love in 11 months than I had learned previously in 34 years.  She has taught me that starting your life in horrendous conditions does not predict your worth or your future.  She has taught me that loving can truly be unconditional, and is not defined by DNA.  She has taught me that a mama is worth waiting for.  

And on Wednesday I will teach her that she does not have to wait one minute more.

She taught my own mama how to be a mother, and how to do so with grace and ease when those are the last two traits you feel like you have.  She taught me that having a grammy who lives around the corner is fantastic, and that an extended family is just as important as the family who lives in your house.  

And have you met my mama?  She taught me how to be.  How to be a good person and how to be a good mama.  But she didn't teach me by sitting me down and teaching me something; she taught me by showing me.  She taught me by showing me that you hug and kiss your babies every chance you get, no matter how old they are.  She taught me that saying I love you doesn't only come from your mouth, it comes from your actions.  She taught me that nobody hugs like your mama.  She taught me that classy is best, that monograms are fantastic, how to host parties and holidays, and not to dress like a hooch.

She taught me that playing outside is important, that reading is so much better than watching television, and that your imagination will take you places you may never otherwise go.  She taught me that you never fight with your girlfriends over boys, that you treat people the way you want to be treated, and that you don't expect people to react to things the way you want them to or you will always be disappointed.  She taught me that having fun is just as important as working hard, and that life cannot be taken too seriously.

I want to be just like her when I grow up.

And she taught me that raising boys is an important job.  Why?  Because it determines the kind of man they will become.  And she raised a good one.  She raised my husband to be a good man, to be respectful, to open doors and say "yes ma'am" and "no ma'am", and to be a good father.  She also taught him that you don't always have to like someone or agree with their choices, but you will always be respectful.  She taught him how to be a good father, and I am so thankful she did.

So happy Mother's Day to my Grammy, who taught my mother how to be a good mama.  To my Mama, who made (and continues to make) it look much easier than it is.  And to my Mother-in-Law, who taught my husband to be a good man and who loves me like I'm her own daughter.  Thank you for teaching me how to be a mama to my babies.