This is my third time celebrating Mother's Day and I STILL can't believe how blessed I am to have Mr Reuel William. I've NEVER thought of myself as the "motherly" type. I've been spontaneous, impatient, vain, and stubborn pretty much my whole life. When I got pregnant, I knew things would be different; I knew I would have to become more responsible and that my life would change forever. But I had NO IDEA what being a mom meant until I held Mr Roo in my arms for the first time. LOVE is the PERFECT word to describe what a mother feels at that moment when she holds her baby for the first time. Think about it...a mother often goes thru HOURS of laborious contractions, exhaustion and immense pressure and once the baby comes out...ALL of that pain is instantly forgotten and her emotions are that of joy and love. Personally, I don't remember what the pain of childbirth feels like even after less than 3 years; but I ABSOLUTELY remember how I felt when Mr Roo was placed in my arms.
Motherhood is MORE than just making it thru childbirth though; it's a DAILY lifestyle choice. It's putting your child's needs above your feelings. It's getting along with your spouse or ex even when it's hard. It's sticking with a daily routine so your child feels stability. It's encouraging them EVERY DAY by telling them how smart they are and how much you love them. It's reading to them and teaching them how to interact with others. And most importantly, a mother's job is to introduce their child to God.
Because I KNEW I lacked basic mothering skills in the beginning; I vowed that I would not only work on them, but I would also use my strength which was allowing God's love to shine thru me so that Roo would feel His love. And secondly, I relied on family to HELP me love Roo. I believe it DOES take a village to raise a child properly. It takes supportive family members, it takes caring teachers, it takes encouraging fellow church members, it takes understanding boss' and co-workers; but it all begins with a mother's UNCONDITIONAL love and devotion to 'raise up her child in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not depart from it.' Prov. 22:6
The perfect mother is NOT a 'perfect mother,' but a mother who realizes her mission is to raise her child to understand their purpose in life and help them anyway she can to fulfill that purpose.
Happy Mother's Day!!
