Earlier this week, I read this article entitled An Open Letter to Pastors (A non-mom speaks about Mother's Day) http://timewarpwife.com/?p=3120 and was touched by its message. At 33 years old I pictured myself in a different place than God has planned for me. I pictured the house with a white picket fence, the 2.5 kids, and a husband. Those things have not been in God's plan for me yet. I am trying to accept where He has me and live my life to give Him glory. That said, it is super hard around holidays and just about everyday to be single with no kids. I did not realize how hard Mother's Day can be on those people struggling with infertility, waiting to be chosen as adoptive parents (my brother and sister-in-law), or those having lost a child or mother. Don't get me wrong - there is nothing wrong with taking a day to celebrate mothers. It is a wonderful day to be thankful for those in our live. I think we all could be a little more mindful of things that we say and do. Countless times this weekend a cashier or stranger has wished my a Happy Mother's Day and each time I have said thank you and felt saddened as I walked away. I know these people mean well, but it still hurts.
I have an adorably mean cat who fills up the camera roll on my iPhone and rules the house! I have a few close families that I have the privilege of babysitting for and watching their children grow up. And then there are my school kids - all 15 of them. My school kids are the ones who probably need the most love. My school is considered to be in a very low socioeconomic area and our kids deal with things in their short, little lives that I could not even fathom dealing with as an adult. As challenging as days can be with my first graders, I love them all and most of the time would love to take them home with me!
I am blessed beyond measure to have a wonderful mother. My mom and I have been through A LOT together. We have dealt with many struggles and adversities but I think we both have come out stronger! Mother's Day in the past has meant a gift, a lunch out, and a card. This year it means something more. My mom has been THE person for me during my struggle with Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria Angioedema (the Unicorns). I have an awesome support of friends, family, and co-workers but my mom has seen the day by day toll that this takes on me. She has prayed with me when my throat was closing up and when I was deciding whether to use my epipen, she has encouraged me daily, and mostly has just been here for me. The Unicorns cause many different problems and these problems vary from day to day or hour to hour. Just last night I was in her room freaking out because I had maxed out my Benadryl (and regular meds) for the day and I was still having throat swelling. She calmed me down and I was able to not have to go to the E.R. The past 10 months have probably been the scariest times of my life. I can always count on my mom though. She has been to every (and there have been tons) doctor appointment with me. She has scoured the internet looking for alternative treatments and places that specialize in urticaria and angioedema. She tells me that she goes to sleep praying for healing and wakes up doing the same. I cannot express to her in words what having her here for me means. She is my rock. The person that I go to when I'm hurt, happy, or in trouble. This Mother's Day is special because even as an adult, my mom takes care of me. She will drop everything and rush to meet me at the doctor, she will do things to make my life easier, but most of all she just loves me. More than I can ever imagine.
This morning on our way to meet my brother for Mother's Day lunch, we came up seconds after a horrific car accident occurred. It was a head-on collision that resulted in an SUV landing on it's roof. The police nor paramedics had gotten to the scene yet but what we saw restored my faith in humanity. People rushed to help. People in their church clothes, people in work clothes, and people in regular clothes all surrounding these cars. About 20 people were around the one that had flipped. They left their cars in the middle of the road and ran to help these strangers. As we got closer to the wreck the first responders had begun to arrive and all we could do was pray for the people involved in the wreck and their families. In the lost world that we live in, it was touching to see such a huge response to people who were in trouble. At the same time as restoring my faith in humanity I couldn't help to think of the families involved. Were they going to meet their family to eat like we were? Were they on their way to church? Or to the store? I don't know. We rode in silence for a long time after seeing that wreck. Shock and sadness filled our car. I looked for news of the accident and couldn't find any information. I just pray that the people are okay.
Whew, that's a lot of emotion rolled up into one blog post. Happy Mother's Day!
I have an adorably mean cat who fills up the camera roll on my iPhone and rules the house! I have a few close families that I have the privilege of babysitting for and watching their children grow up. And then there are my school kids - all 15 of them. My school kids are the ones who probably need the most love. My school is considered to be in a very low socioeconomic area and our kids deal with things in their short, little lives that I could not even fathom dealing with as an adult. As challenging as days can be with my first graders, I love them all and most of the time would love to take them home with me!
I am blessed beyond measure to have a wonderful mother. My mom and I have been through A LOT together. We have dealt with many struggles and adversities but I think we both have come out stronger! Mother's Day in the past has meant a gift, a lunch out, and a card. This year it means something more. My mom has been THE person for me during my struggle with Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria Angioedema (the Unicorns). I have an awesome support of friends, family, and co-workers but my mom has seen the day by day toll that this takes on me. She has prayed with me when my throat was closing up and when I was deciding whether to use my epipen, she has encouraged me daily, and mostly has just been here for me. The Unicorns cause many different problems and these problems vary from day to day or hour to hour. Just last night I was in her room freaking out because I had maxed out my Benadryl (and regular meds) for the day and I was still having throat swelling. She calmed me down and I was able to not have to go to the E.R. The past 10 months have probably been the scariest times of my life. I can always count on my mom though. She has been to every (and there have been tons) doctor appointment with me. She has scoured the internet looking for alternative treatments and places that specialize in urticaria and angioedema. She tells me that she goes to sleep praying for healing and wakes up doing the same. I cannot express to her in words what having her here for me means. She is my rock. The person that I go to when I'm hurt, happy, or in trouble. This Mother's Day is special because even as an adult, my mom takes care of me. She will drop everything and rush to meet me at the doctor, she will do things to make my life easier, but most of all she just loves me. More than I can ever imagine.
This morning on our way to meet my brother for Mother's Day lunch, we came up seconds after a horrific car accident occurred. It was a head-on collision that resulted in an SUV landing on it's roof. The police nor paramedics had gotten to the scene yet but what we saw restored my faith in humanity. People rushed to help. People in their church clothes, people in work clothes, and people in regular clothes all surrounding these cars. About 20 people were around the one that had flipped. They left their cars in the middle of the road and ran to help these strangers. As we got closer to the wreck the first responders had begun to arrive and all we could do was pray for the people involved in the wreck and their families. In the lost world that we live in, it was touching to see such a huge response to people who were in trouble. At the same time as restoring my faith in humanity I couldn't help to think of the families involved. Were they going to meet their family to eat like we were? Were they on their way to church? Or to the store? I don't know. We rode in silence for a long time after seeing that wreck. Shock and sadness filled our car. I looked for news of the accident and couldn't find any information. I just pray that the people are okay.
Whew, that's a lot of emotion rolled up into one blog post. Happy Mother's Day!
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