Celebrate One Million

Topic today, CELEBRATING CHILDREN! It has been an interesting summer with traveling to Merrill, WI to gather up my two younger children and making the trip back to Florida. We did enjoy seeing all of our family, visiting the fair and playing in the cool northern outdoors. They GREW so much in only two months time and oh my, their young “lady - ness” (is that a word?) is heating up. This fall they will be first timers at a preforming arts middle school in Jacksonville, Florida. They are fine tuning talents for their own life journey ahead.

My oldest daughter is traveling abroad in Ecuador currently and staying in Quinto. She is only 19 years old and working on being free enough to begin to see all that the world has to offer. Her dream is to live in Europe. My own dream is coming true soon as well. After years of not being with her because of divorce – she is looking to land at our home for a while in here in Florida. I cannot wait to be with her and have our family back in touch after so long. It feels good to look at all of them in the eyes and tell them how very happy I am to be their mother.

Side NOTE: I was reflecting today about house cleaning and children. It has been 19 years since I have taken on the task of having babies. 19 years of laundry and cooking and cleaning. 19 years of emotional, physical and ….well mostly physical endurance of the ups and downs of parenthood. I let my body go for a long time, became stressed with fear of how to keep it all together, angry sometimes that I felt so alone in it all, you know… the “why me” attitude. So even though my children are getting older and they do help out with house cleaning, (of course with gentle prodding), I still enjoy the smudges on the light switches, the piles of attempted laundry, crumbs left on the table after dinner has been long cleaned up and yes, even the toothpaste in the sink.

The picture is my oldest daughter’s permanently tatooed foot – I think it sums what she feels is important – and I concur – having the freedom to wake up everyday and enjoy children and all that comes with it – is a huge gift to celebrate.

What about you? Where are the children in your life today and what are you celebrating them for?

Mother’s Day is celebrated in many countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, Mexico, Canada, China, Japan and Belgium. The day is used by children and husbands to honor mothers and grandmothers for all that they do in raising children.

Hopefully like many of you – I, along with my family will be Celebrating Mother’s Day today. This Mother’s Day is especially significant for me. Between a very difficult divorce and being in court for the past 3 years in an effort to bring our children to our home to Florida – Mother’s Day was really a bittersweet day every year as my children were so far away (living in the Midwest). This year however will bring a day of many special surprises. I already received my youngest daughter’s gift YESTERDAY! Saying, “I couldn’t wait Mommy,” she handed me a handmade card that said, “I love you. Thank you for everything you have done for me and…Happy Mother’s Day Mom, Love, Taylor.” Pretty special huh? It gets better -on the back my 11 year old put a little pocket folder entitled, “COUPONS.” “Inside,” she told me, “are things you can use on Mother’s day,” and also, “…they have no expiration date.” Today, then, I will be using my: 1 free car wash, 1 free hour alone, 1 free box of Junior Mints (my favorite) and 1 free anything I want coupon. Mmm, maybe I will ask for the biggest family group hug imaginable. Rachel, Bailey, Taylor and Mike love me dearly and I am so grateful that I have been given the gift of motherhood, today and everyday!

What are you celebrating?