THE JOYS OF MOTHERHOOD

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We stood at the altar and were asked, “Do you” and we said we did.

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I was having a case of numb brain for "I do" was about all I was cognizant of during a period of about three hours which the ceremony and all the aftermath took place.

All I wanted was just to get married, and I had to go through much I felt was unnecessary. So there we stood with happy smiles on our faces, and very much in love.

Fast forwarding five years, there we stood, with three kids, with clenched jaws of determination. We were determined to raise these kids right. Standing there very much in love with little time and energy to express it.

The amazing thing about kids is they can remember every mistake the parents made in raising them, (at least mistakes from their viewpoint.)

After many years and having confessed to being guilty as charged, and being forgiven at least in part we sat with jaws relaxed and very much in love.

We observe with mouths closed, let our children raise their brood as they wish. Our children must have been great kids for they overcame all of our shortcomings and turned out pretty well.

While stopping at a restaurant the other day, I observed a mother of twins across from us. She bought the two year old kids the usual fare of a hamburger and fries and a drink. At first she would give them a fry which they ate and then a bite of burger and a sip.

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After two or three cycles of this the kids discovered that they were other people in the restaurant whereby they would stand on the seat and look at them.

Then they commenced the playing. They would duck down behind the seat and then jump up playing the age old peep eye game. This continued till the mother gave up trying to get them to eat their food.

I thought this mother is either the “Got it all together, coolest mother” I’ve seen or is just completely numbed out - - for she quietly handled situation without any apparent stress.

I didn’t look at her face because I didn’t have my glasses on and without them I would have needed to stare directly in her eyes for a period of time. In this “What are you looking at” psycho world we live in, it’s not a good idea to do that.

Of course both kids had kicked their shoes off under the table which she had to retrieve and put back on. Since she had twins they each had different color shoes on. I suppose that was for quick identification especially at a distance. She had every opportunity to get angry but yet she kept her cool and enjoyed the joys of motherhood.

No matter how rotten your kids have been during the day there is a healing moment that happens when you make the last check on them at night, and you look at their sweet faces. All is forgiven in that moment, all is well and nothing matches this as love flows unstrained from a mother’s heart.