What Do I Love About Being a Mom?

What do I love about being a mom?

I love walking thru the house and picking up plastic swords and light sabers as I pass thru each room. 
I love doing laundry and finding bb's that fall out of pockets and roll around on the floor.
I love finding Legos and super bouncy balls in my purse. 

I love when my oldest asks permission to do something, because he does still do that sometimes.
I love that my youngest still lights up when I show up at school for anything.
I love that my 'middle child' has a personality all her own and that she is so much more outgoing than I ever was.

I love saying 'yes' when I can to whatever they have asked.
I love driving my kids places.
I love that other kids call me to drive them places when their parents are not able to do so.

I love saying 'I love you' to any of my kids over the phone and the awkward silence that ensues as they sit there wondering what they are supposed to say after that (very fun, try this with your teenagers).

I love hearing my name called by kids at the high school because I've been there enough that they (band kids, at least) know who I am.
I love the other kids who call me mom.

I love meeting the new boyfriends/girlfriends.
I love watching my husband torment them with threats of embarrassing behavior.

I love the friendships I have made with other parents.
I love that we parents can count on each other to help out when we're in a bind.

I love finding forgotten notes and projects from days gone by when they still made me things out of construction paper and glue.

I love watching my children excel at things they love and things they enjoy doing; and when they fail, I love watching those same children learn from experience and do better the next time.

I love when we are all on the same wavelength - that seems to happen less as they age.
I love that we all seem to share a good, dry sense of humor and that most of the time we all 'get' sarcasm.
I love that I have had the privilege of watching 3 great kids grow up, and in the process also their friends.

I love the thought of all the things my children will yet experience in life - it's more exciting now than when it was my turn to look ahead to all those wonderful experiences.

I love - the best, most wonderful gift I have ever been given is my children and the joy in loving them. Because of them, I love in a way that I never would have known without them.

Thank you, God, for my children. There is no good thing I have done to deserve this wonderful gift.

I Wonder...

Do you have a person, or persons, who are no longer in your life (whether due to death or just distance) that you wish you had spent more time with or wish you had delved deeper into who they are and what they think of life?
I have several who are gone that I wish this about; and I have one in particular who is on my mind today.  She is 'gone' while still here with us physically.  My grandmother is coming into what I think you would call the final stages of Alzheimer's.

When I sit with her (can't say baby-sit, but that's almost what it's like) I find myself looking at her and wondering so many things. I wonder why I don't ever remember her talking about the long scar on her shin and how she go it.  I wonder what it was like to raise 5 children on a pastor's salary.  I wonder why she was never a 'hoarder' and why I didn't inherit her talent for purging things.  I wonder what it was like to go thru WWII at home while her brothers were all off to war. 

I wonder what her favorite food was, favorite song, favorite verse in the Bible, or any of her favorites.  I do know her favorite color is purple.  I also know that she didn't wear it for years because her husband is not a fan of purple.  I wonder how she always had time to tuck me in or read me a story or say bed-time prayers with me.  I wonder if she knew how much everyone truely loved her - and I wonder if she knows now. 

I wonder if our theories about Alzheimer's are all wrong?  What if that's not a blank stare we see?  What if she realy knows what we are trying to communicate to her and she just can't acknowledge? What if she knows what SHE is trying to say, even though she no longer has the words to tell us?  I am so thankful that I have had my lifetime to love her and that for just a while and in small ways I can take care of her the way she always cared for me.