Some of my own History: Thoughts for Mother's Day

The reward of being a parent is the almost automatic gift of unconditional love. Of course this gift comes from the Lord and can also be given in other ways, but in my life, it has been the strongest in my relationship with my children. It helps me understand (a little) how I am also loved. It connects me with others in unselfish ways and it is a template for other relationships. Yes, there is grief and pain in motherhood, and as Eve observed, that sets us up for the joy that comes in the same package. Before I became a mother myself, I watched my own mother and doubted that I could ever live up to her example in love and nurture. But the blessing of fierce and unconditional love was delivered along with the baby. How to best express that love has taken a lifetime of living and growing and reliance on God. He gave me the challenge and He has schooled me. At times I still despair and in those times I know I'm ready for another "growing spurt." This is an eternal process and I'm grateful that I was given the opportunity to begin early in this lifetime. By the way, I'm a glutton for punishment and joy, so I kept at it as long as God kept sending those little ones into my arms and into my life. Nine babies and three decades of bearing them. That seems quite illogical and extreme, even to me, making the whole thing a definite miracle.