To My Adult Children On Mother’s Day

To my adult children on Mother’s Day:

How did we get here? I mean, really. Alissa, weren’t you in pull-ups and pigtails just a couple of years ago? And, Zach, weren’t you jumping in your bouncy seat and allowing your sister to put barrettes in your hair just yesterday? How can you two be almost 24 and 21 years old?

I feel like I blinked twice and you grew up while I did so.

Allow me to remind you today, I love being your mom.

I always have. (Okay, maybe except for when you emptied foundation makeup bottles on our carpet when you were eighteen months old, Alissa. And, maybe except on that Sunday at Alissa’s volleyball tournament, Zach, when you pouted and huffed and nearly threw a fit for having to be there with me all day.) But, seriously, I love being your mom.

There’s just something about the love a mother has for her child. A love that I cannot describe or attempt to put into words. But it’s big and it’s bold and it’s something within me I cannot contain. It’s the thing that causes me to sprint toward my son who’s headed downhill on a tricycle toward a pond. It’s also the motivator that causes me to turn into a momma bear to protect my daughter from anyone who would think about harming her. This is the kind of love for you God has given me.

On Mother’s Day I celebrate you.

You two made me a mom, and not just any mom. The mom of the two greatest children ever. Yes, I know you’re not children anymore, but you already know you’ll always be my children no matter how old you are. I guess that’s why Mother’s Day is so important to me. It’s the day I get to celebrate being YOUR mom. What a gift God has given me!

And, now as you’re adults, being your mom is an even greater adventure! I love it when you come home and when you stay for awhile. Each moment we spend together I cherish… whether it’s going out to lunch, or shopping, or just hanging out. I love our conversations, our exchanges through social media, and the past memories we recall together. I love every moment I get to spend with you.

You not only make me proud, you make me smile. God has gifted you both in so many amazing ways, and it does this momma’s heart good to watch you use those gifts to bless others! So, this day isn’t just about me being your momma. It’s more about you.

Do you remember the years when Mother’s Day was hard?

Maybe you don’t. (I hope you don’t!) After Grandma passed away, Mother’s Day was an incredibly difficult day. Grief replaced joy those Mother’s Days. I then understood how Mother’s Day is not the happiest day for all. And, during those years of hard Mother’s Days, you just loved me even if you didn’t understand my tears or emotions. Thank you for that.

No, today is not the happiest day for everyone. It can be difficult for a number of reasons. But, you’ve shown how you can be sensitive to the feelings of others. You again make me proud.

I thank God today, especially for you.

I thank Him for allowing me to give birth to you, to raise you with your father, to provide you with a loving and nurturing home. My heart rejoices in how God has grown you into amazing adults who care, who are kind, who are changing the world. I praise God for His protection, His sovereignty, His presence in our lives. And, I give Him the glory for all you are and all you are becoming. He’s molding you into the man and woman He desires you to be!

As your mom, I get to stand in awe as I watch it happen. I get to cheer you on as you achieve and hug you when things don’t go as we plan. I get to be your momma. There’s no greater blessing in my book.

I love you, my Lissy Lou and Z-Man!