A friend of mine told me once that each year she and her siblings would ask their mom what she wanted for Mother's Day and each year she would reply, "all I want is a clean house and happy children." I think about that every year. Turn off the fighting, whining, and contention for the day, clean up after yourselves and maybe throw in a load of dishes and a little vacuuming for me - and I'm all set. You know how "there is beauty all around when there's love at home" and "home can be a heaven on Earth when we are filled with love"??? Well, I whole heartedly agree...only that never happens when you have a whole pack of kids and between all of them someone is always grumpy or offish or ailing in someway. If my dear, sweet, angelic children can make the effort to be happy for just one day, somehow that is the greatest gift I can think of. Also, if I could not have to cook and could maybe take a nap somewhere in there - then seriously that's all I could ask for. But don't cook if you're going to leave a big mess, because I'll just go ahead and crockpot something OK? See, I don't ask for much.
I love being a mom...having a whole holiday to celebrate that privilege is really just an added bonus. I should also probably say something about "my angel mother", my mother-in-law, my grandmother, all the women in my life, etc. People get a little cliche with their facebook tributes nowadays, don't they? It's like, "C'mon, there's no way your grandmother's gonna read this" but anyway, suffice it to say - I am indeed grateful to my mother for many things, but of particular interest at this point in my life, for teaching me to be a patient mother (a lifelong endeavor, as it turns out). As for my mother-in-law, I am especially grateful that she taught her son to always put the toilet seatdown AND to be so kind as to give it a quick wipe with a piece of toilet paper when the situation calls for it. If that isn't the measure of superb parenting, don't ask me what is.
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