The Mother

It seems odd I would write about being a mother today. You see, today is the birthday of my older brother who I never got to know. I was just one month old when he passed, he was three years old. Obviously, I have known about this my entire life, but could never really grasp the pain my mother endured with that loss. I began to understand two years, five months, and 21 days ago and as my own child gets older, the understanding becomes more and more crystal clear.

Today was a busy mom day for me. My two-year-old is...well two years old...and you mothers know what that brings. Today was preschool, a doctor's appt, and first ever swim lessons, but even though the day was bustling busy, it brought a sweet, sweet moment. He is just learning to form sentences. It's amazing...sometimes I'll think, "Who taught him the word 'the' and how to use it correctly?" At some point I realized he is just mimicking me. So, today he is settling in for a nap in his room and I hear him calmly calling out to me..."Mommy, Mommy, Mommmyyy..." I go in there and say, "Yes Jake?" he says, "Mommy, I had fun today!" Now - as I type that I realize there is probably nobody in the world who understands just how precious that is, but I was expecting, "I want a dwink of wader."

I almost did not have children and while struggling with the question of should I or shouldn't I a woman who does not have children said, "If you never have children, you might regret it. If you have a child, you'll never regret it."

I believe there is nothing in this world more powerful than having a child.