Today is my younger son’s birthday and a great reason to celebrate the day. On my son’s birthdays, I spend time reflecting and journaling about the joys of being a Mother. When they were growing up, I was very fortunate to have had lots of time with them. Some days the house may not have been cleaned, but, that was alright. Now that they are grown, I am so glad that I took advantage of spending time with them. So, what are the joys of motherhood?
When they were growing up, we lived in Florida, but, we spent our summers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. These are times I will cherish my entire life. Most summers we did not have cable television, our days and nights were spent outdoors in nature. They were simple summers with simple pleasures. The boys used to tease me that I was like a camp director. Every day I would plan an “adventure” for us. There were long hikes in Grand Teton National Park. Lunch would be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while sitting on a rock. Our favorite picnic spot was String Lake. We would barbeque hamburgers and desert would be some mores. I would read and the boys would skip rocks on the lake and play with their boats and Play Mobile people. Most nights, after dinner, we would go on “animal” rides: looking for buffalo, elk, moose or bears.
When I think of motherhood, I think of selfless love. I love my sons unconditionally. Their births were the greatest gift from God. My sons taught me how to love with every bit of my heart. When I reflect on my Motherhood journey, the image of a butterfly enters my mind. My joy was to nurture them, feed them, teach them, love them and then to let go. Like the beautiful butterfly that emerges from the cocoon and flies away, I am confident that all our “adventures” help mold them into the incredible men they are today.
Please share your favorite story of Motherhood.