Are you my Mother?

I love the story Are You my Mother by P.D. Eastman. I used to read it over and over again.  The mother bird goes off to get food, and the baby bird hatches.  Alone, he starts to wonder who his mother is. I loved how the baby bird did not know who his mother was, and even thought a SNORT (heavy equipment) might be his mother.  So desperate for his mother and exasperated after having met a kitten, a hen, a dog, a cow, and a car who were not his mother he cries out, “You are not my mother!”  Just as soon as he does the bucket of the tractor drops him into his nest safe and sound where he reunites with his mother.

My girls are always running to me when I get home, or when I have been out and they were staying with their grandmothers.  They run into me almost knocking me down saying, “Mommy, I missed you.”  Every one of us have those who are dear to us, but everyone needs their mother.

I am 37 years old, and when I am in pain, or sick, as soon as I pray, I want my mother.  There is nothing like a hug from Mom, or her home remedy that makes you feel better.  If you can’t have her there even her voice makes you perk up and feel better. You can have a friend care for you, be under a doctor of nurses care, but no one is like Dr. Mom.

Asking myself what motherhood means to me has been difficult.  I wondered how to approach it and the story of the little bird popped into my head.  What does that say about motherhood?  Well as a Mom I have to leave the nest sometimes to get food, clothes, medicine, spiritual food to share.  In order to keep them happy and healthy it is necessary for me to do what I can to make sure they have everything they need.  However in all of that I can get caught up in doing and not being their Mom.  As I am busy doing life, they are home wondering where is my mother.  Motherhood is recognizing that the needs of a child met without nurture and love is not meeting their needs at all.

I remember holding each of my children tightly to my chest and rocking them to sleep.  Now my four year old is my last baby and I mourn silently thinking about my 8,9,and 14 year old who have grown out of my arms.  I see letting them go is necessary for them to embrace their future. That God has a good plan, future, and a hope for each of them  I wonder what that holds for them and I pray for their relationship with the Lord.  I pray for their future husbands.  I pray against evil in their lives.  Although I wish I could still rock them to sleep I think my new focus should be being there for them so they don’t have to ask anyone, “Are you my Mother?”

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you Mom’s out there physical or spiritual.  There is a special bond we share, and I am glad to be a part of the Motherhood.  Read more about Motherhood with me by checking out the other bloggers who join Faith Barista in discussing what Motherhood means to them.  Blessings to you and your mother. Beloved<3 Melinda

Love is patient; love is kind. Love is not jealous; is not proud; is not conceited; does not act foolishly; is not selfish; is not easily provoked to anger; keeps no record of wrongs; takes no pleasure in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. ~ I Corinthians 13:4-7.