This Day For Mommys
On Mommy's Day: We still get up at 4am when the little reaches out over the bed to touch our face - those wide sleep filled eyes asking to nestle up against us for a few more hours of interrupted sleep and constant repositioning. We still help with potty and diapers and cuddles and naps. A day for Mommys doesn’t give us a day off from loving or being their most important person.
A day for mommy’s DOES help us all remember the need to support, love, and ENCOURAGE the mommy’s in our lives, no matter the season they are in. Mommy’s are influencers of generations. Mommy’s are everything you’ve heard of in all the beautiful sayings and more. I am thankful for Mother's Day, it is one day to refocus and re - remember to encourage and hold up Mommas for all the rest of the 364.
Special needs mom:
I know you get it - we aren’t “special” because we have “special” kids - we are just MOMS, choosing daily to give what we have in our hands to love and support our kids the best we know how. We are always learning. Us Momma's are learning through our failures, through the fear we are constantly freeing ourselves from, and from our kids. AND we are growing through it all. We are the same as every mom - wanting the very best for our littles as they grow up to be bigs. Loving them so much that their pain is your pain, and their joy is yours too.
Some of our experiences will be DIFFERENT than most. We constantly fight for a place in this world for our kids - a space that doesn't always exist until we make it. We Constantly fight for what our kids need - we advocate with programs, schools, insurances, and others to create space and support. The battle in ongoing, the battle is exhausting. We, as special needs momma's, will face different challenges than the special needs parent next to us and its those Different challenges that strengthen and connect us. We'll continue to unite in the differences we face, and bravely carry on.
You cannot love a thing without wanting to fight for it.
G. K. Chesterton
Mom to Mom
NONE of us has exactly the same mommy-hood - we can believe the lie that its the differences in our motherhood that segregate us from each other, or we can lean into the truth that our individual challenges are what provide even more opportunity to bond through supporting and ENCOURAGING each other through our journey. I feel that through whatever reason, we often bring criticisms out of our own insecurity. We judge what we wouldn't do or how we would handle. We sometimes attack the very support system that is our greatest strength and most powerful ally.
Lets learn to put our hand out behind us and say to our fellow mom,
"grab on, I've got you!"
Articles and advice and "how to's " are all so very helpful, but sometimes, in the middle of chaos and overwhelming mommy -hood, a simple, "I've got your back" is as precious as a day at the spa (almost). An "I get you" and "you are an amazing mom!" is often ALL we need from each other to get through that meltdown at nap time, or tantrum at the store (because, lets be real moms, its happened to ALL OF US).
All the Peoples
Let me tell you, all the peoples - take a quick look at the "mom to mom" above, and then DO. Us mommas over here, no matter what kind of momma, thought we knew at least a few things about being moms.....Until the crazy little humans with actual personalities were birthed. Most of us WANT to be better moms and be the best we can be for our kids. Most of us are attempting to make the "RIGHT" gabillion four thousand five hundred and thirty decisions every single day for our little human beings. We want advice when we need it from the people we trust. We need guidance from the people in our lives who through experience have wisdom to share.
But most of the time, we have already researched and prayed and loved to the very depths of our souls. We have fought and thought and tried and failed till we've gone to the end of ourselves and beyond, and sometimes, just sometimes, all we need is a simple, LOVING,
"good job momma, you've got this."
So this Mother's Day, Find all the mommas, look them in the eye, and tell them just that. Lets be the difference makers - encouraging one momma at a time.
Photo Cred : @iamsoundship