KID'S AND MOMS

At Christmas

Ah, kids. Funny how when you're first pregnant everyone is so excited you're going to have a baby. It's all they talk about, the baby. No one ever tells you about what happens when the baby grows up, that the baby will become a teenager who turns your hair gray or an adult that you can't make behave with threats of "I'm going to send you to your room." Nobody tells you that the baby will fall in love and bring more people into your life to worry about and turn your hair gray.
Ah, but nobody will tell you about the surprise visits, the free labor you get when you're moving, the mother-son talks and the mother-daughter craft projects (that sometimes even turn out!), the fun and laughter you share and the flowers you get on Mother's Day. Yes, children are a blessing, even when they grow up.
I have to admit that there are times I wish mine were little again and I could keep them safe in the backyard under my watchful eye, have the final say in who their friends are, and make their choices for them. I wonder if my own mother ever felt this way about me. Probably. I think, too, I sometimes find myself wishing they were little again so I could be a better mother. A perfect mother. Hmmm Is there such a thing? Probably not.
This Mother's Day I'm thankful for my children. I love them dearly. Happy Mother's Day, kids. Without you what would my life have been?

---

A swing dancing lesson with my son, just as my energy was coming back after chemo.