I remember standing on the front porch with my newborn daughter in my arms thinking HOLY COW!! How was I responsible for this tiny human when I wasn’t even sure how to properly cook a pot roast! Don’t get me wrong. This child was wanted, planned, already adored. But, the idea of being the person responsible for her well being. The idea of being the one to wake up in the middle of the night when she was sick. The idea of cleaning her cuts and healing her heart. Wow! Pretty overwhelming stuff at that moment on those porch steps.
Mia Leanne made it almost effortless, though. She was pretty easy-going –even slept through the night from the first night home. She quickly became my little buddy. We still like to just be together doing nothing more exciting than drinking coffee and watching HGTV. Mia is sensitive, imaginative and smart. Her creativity inspires me. If only I had her singing voice! And, that smile simply exudes sweetness.
Zane Parker was born almost 4 years later. I always wanted more than one child, so I wasn’t very patient waiting for his arrival. Zane was payback for all of those nights of uninterrupted sleep during Mia’s baby days. He wanted to snack and chat every hour and a half. All day. Every day. For 2 years! But, he was completely irresistible with his bubbly personality and sly grin. He’s witty, insanely talented, bold, ambitious and everyone’s best friend.
Angelina Grace arrived on the scene much later. The other kids were in elementary school when she was born. We chose her name to mean Angel from the grace of God because that’s what we felt about receiving this gift. She has always been spunky, loyal and sporty. I love that she pays attention to what’s going on in the world. She is serious about school and doesn’t even know how to give less than 100% to anything.
With them, life is never dull either. They’re so stinking clever! One kid says something funny and it goes from there! They keep spinning things off of each other, adding more and more layers to the laughter! I often say that it’s like living in an episode of Saturday Night Live. A simple holiday dinner can turn into a comedy festival. There are times when my sides hurt from laughing so much when we’re all together.
Of course, I think my kids are awesome. Doesn’t every mother? Here’s the really important fact to note. Even if they weren’t my kids, I’d want to hang out with them. I’d want to be in their circles because they are seriously cool people. These kids know what’s essential in life. They understand kindness and compassion and love.
They are the kind of people who hold open doors. They say thank you. They talk to the kid that no one else looks at. They put others before themselves and serve whenever needed. They are open and warm. They’ll give up the last piece of pizza for you. They’re never afraid to jump in when someone needs a hand. And, they’ll do it with smiles.
I’m always surprised at the way they roll with the punches of life, although I shouldn’t be. They’ve always been good at picking themselves up, dusting themselves off and getting right back at it. Am I proud? You bet. Do I know that I’m loved and respected on this Mother’s Day? Yep. It’s never a doubt. They always make sure I know how they feel.
For me, every day is Mother’s Day. They are my heart beat.
sharing the stairs 