Being a Mother

My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.

~George Washington

For that's what a woman, a mother wants -- to teach her children to take an interest in life. She knows it's safer for them to be interested in other people's happiness than to believe in their own.

~Marquerite Duras

God couldn't be everywhere, so he created mothers.

~Jewish Proverb

To say the last three years have been easy would be a lie. Being a Mother has been the most challenging experience of my entire life. Before she was born, Emma taught me patients, what I had no idea about, was that in the years that followed and I have no doubt in the years to come, I will continue to learn patients. If Emma doesn't challenge me in some way throughout the day then I've missed something. However, in the tests that are part of being a Mother, I've grown stronger, a better person, I think.

As challenging as Motherhood has been, it has also been quite rewarding. There is something so satisfying about seeing your child on her very best behaviour when it really matters most. Or, learning a new trick or word after much work on both my part and Emma's. The greatest noise to me in the entire world is the noise of my daughter giggling as she plays with her Daddy; it makes me feel as though everything is right in the world, it makes a bad day better. To be told you are loved, and know that its unconditional, and that someone worships the ground you walk on is amazing (even if she doesn't worship me quite as much as she does her Daddy!).

My favorite time of day is first thing in the morning when Emma lets me snuggle with her, and at the end of the day, when I go into kiss her goodnight on my way to bed. Some days, watching her sleep is the only thing that allows me the strength to get up and be the best Mom I can be the next day. I try very hard to let the frustrations of that particular day rush away as I watch my baby girl sleep peacefully.

At my Grandma's Celebration of Life last month, it was inspiring to hear the stories my Aunts and Uncles shared about the wonderful family my Grandma had created, her unconditional love for every one of her children, and later the love for their spouses, and her grandchildren, and her great-granddaughter. I feel like if I can have the successful family, and raise children almost as wonderful as my Grandma did, then I could say I had a great life.

There are so many Mothers in my life, so many special women, then have helped to shape who I am today, both as a person and as the Mother I've become, and will continue to be. Some have not been in my life for very long, and others have been there from the day I was born, or in the case of My Mother, before I was born. I feel lucky, grateful, fortunate, to have these people in my life as role models, Mothers to strive to be like, after all, lets face it being a Mom isn't an easy job.

This past week I worked 32 hours, from home, while still being the Mom my little girl needs, visited a preschool, enrolled Emma in preschool for the fall, took my favorite little girl to the library - where she made me the most wonderful Mother's Day card, had an all out battle over picking up toys in the playroom, ran our house, and tried my very best to be the very best wife and mother I could. To say it didn't suck, would be a pretty big lie. Would I change anything about it? Probably. Would I rather have been some where else? Absolutely not! Being a Mom, being a wife are my two favorite jobs in the whole world!

(All the pictures are part of my Mother's Day gift! I told Brian all I wanted this year was an updated family photo and an updated picture of my favorite little girl! With his lack of time due to school, he thought it was a wonderful idea!)