Mother's Day

Ah, Mother's Day.  The day in which all of my year's efforts, shortcomings hopes and dreams all come together in one or two thoughtfully hand-scribbled notes.  

This makes me laugh- I do love soup, but my kids think the main reason I make soup is because I love to hear them complain about it so much.

 "Dear Mommy, Do you know how much I love you?"

I love to read my children's attempts at putting their feelings into words.

My mom is fantastic! the best! happy! special! nice! beautiful!  My mom is sweet because she's a great mom!  My mom is a star because she's nice!

And the paper that the older three brought home from Primary was especially telling-

My mom loves me because I love her too/I love her/I love her
My mom makes the best cake/food/red velvet cake
My favorite thing to do with my mom is make cake/snuggle/talk and snuggle
My mom is good at making dinner/hugging/snuggling
My mom is as beautiful as a beautiful rose/a butterfly/a blooming flower
My mom teaches me to turn on the TV/to love/to read music

One of the cards read "My mom is the best at talking on the phone."

Really?  I make a total of 3 phone calls a week.

Next year I'm going to prepare my kids a little better for the excess of jovial bonding moments and kindly adjectives they will be required to extol at a moment's notice when a piece of paper and fistful of crayons.  Then my Mother's Day cards will read something more like this.

My mom loves me because...
...I am a kind, helpful, loving, talented, funny, and thoughtful child with special gifts and amazing potential.
... I am a hard-working member of a great family whose members love each other unconditionally.
...I fill a special place in her heart with an unwavering love that she has only for me.

My mom makes the best...
...well-balanced meals with an emphasis on vitamin D, iron and fiber despite my constant complaints about the lack of really good candy around here.
...jokes about things that aren't really funny. like how much she loves that I complain about her soup.
...environment in which I can learn and grow in a safe place where I know I am loved and accepted for who I truly am.

My mom is good at...
...making deliberate memories with our family that I will cherish for years to come.
...forgiving me when I dump out her tomato plant starters and grind the dirt into the rug with my heel.
...selflessly dedicating the majority of her time to making sure that I am fed, safe, clean, and loved.
...keeping her temper and showing love at all hours of the day and night, no matter how little hours of sleep she may have managed to snag in the last 24 hours.
...making me feel special and loved even though I am only one of the many people in this house that need her constant attention.

I love my mom because she loves me.

Every one of them hit that nail right on the head.  I love them.  I don't love them because they love me, but I am so glad that they know how much I love them.  They made me a mother, and I'm thankful for that every single day.

Mother's Day is never perfect, but the amazing gift of motherhood is one that I celebrate every day of the year.