Thursday, May 8, 2014

 

Motherhood...I entered the challenge at a young age.

I did not have a degree in it...... in fact, I never even went to any classes to study it.
No, I just entered it all, so inexperienced, and yet so thankful for the privilege.  I was
so blessed to have my first daughter at age twenty-three years of age.  Eight years later,
I had my second daughter, and two and half years after that, my youngest daughter
was born.


Here we are, one happy crew, having Sunday morning breakfast.  Yes, Mother
dear, I do have the ketchup container sitting on the table, in all of it's tall plastic glory.:)
But, aren't you at least a bit impressed that I made eggs for everyone?

It seems to me, that the four of us grew up together, living, learning, being stretched, and
loving together.  My husband, their father, being the only male in our family, was certainly
going through the entire process with us, only seeing it all from a totally different perspective.
He too, was learning far more than any college course could possibly have taught him. 
Even though, he grew up with two sisters, he still found living with four females a whole
new ball game.
 

When we finally reached the young adult years in their lives, life took on new direction,
and there again, we all found ourselves learning another set of lessons.

Today, I am still learning lessons in mothering, but once again, the scenery is different.
Now, I am learning just how to be a mother to son-in-laws and how to be a grandma
to the grandchildren that I have been gifted with.  One never stops learning
the role of mother, and through it all, one never stops loving.

Thankfully, I have had some of the most wonderful role models in my life.  Those who
walked the journey before me, with their own mountaintops and valleys in the
same role.  But, both my Mother and my Mother-in-law taught by their examples,
the value of serving others in life.  Both put their families first.  Both ladies never
complained through it all.  They loved, they served, they gave, and they cared for
their families, in unselfish and untiring ways.


Here is a picture of my Mother, in the all too familiar scene of being in the kitchen.
She served for years in chairing the Ladies Auxiliary at a local college, and in doing
so cooked up gallons of her wonderful chicken corn soup, and always with a warm,
gracious smile.  The kitchen was where I remember her to be, more than any other room
in our home, and it seemed to me, that she always had plenty of food on hand, no
matter who stopped in to eat.

 
My Mother-in-Law is also a dear lady with a serving heart, and she has
taught me endless lessons in serving and giving.  She too spent hours standing
over the stove, in preparing food for her family and other guests.
I watched these wonderful ladies, sometimes consciously and some-
times unconsciously, learning from their spirits, and their
giving hearts.
 
"We never know the love of a parent until we become parents
ourselves."   ~Henry Ward Beecher
 
Thank you to these two very special ladies on this Mother's Day
weekend.  Thank you for teaching us, your daughters, daughter-in-laws, and grandchildren.
 
I love you both!  I pray that my daughters will have gleaned lessons from
me, via the lessons I learned from you, and that now as they too,
are in the role of mother themselves, that they too, in their own
unique ways, will be able to lovingly teach their children, some
of the same lessons and principals that you all, shared with me.
"A mother's heart is the child's schoolroom."
~Henry Ward Beecher
 
 
 
And, for all of you in the blogging world, in whatever role you find yourselves
in today, I wish you the privilege of knowing just how important you are.
That you can somehow be reminded in your heart this weekend, that you do make a
difference to those around you.
That others are learning from your example, whether you are aware
of it or not.
Wishing you a dose of joy on this special holiday!
 
 

9 comments:

debi said...

We a perfectly spoken post! Thanks for sharing...your daughters are very lucky to have you to call Mom :-)



Hugs!

Stacey said...

Sweet sweet post. Happy Mother's Day to you Judy.

Anneliese said...

You are so right, in being a mother, one never stops learning. It is not like anything a degree could have prepared us for... maybe not something I would have signed up for had I known ... but not something I would trade for anything else.
Happy mother's day to you, Judy!

GratefulPrayerThankfulHeart said...

Oh, Judy, a beautiful post and warm, heartfelt sentiments! Beautiful ladies - everyone! Happy Mother's Day, sweet friend!

Happy@Home said...

It was indeed a pleasure to learn a bit about your mom and mother-in-law and the unique ways in which they affected your role as a mother.
Since I have been visiting you here it has become apparent that mothering and grandmothering is a role that you fill very well. I loved the photos you shared today (even the plastic ketchup bottle).
Happy Mother's Day to you, Judy.

Judy said...

So well said, Judy! And such nice pic's of your 'mothers' and those who call you mom. Happy Mother's Day to you all.

I think we all feel inadequate as mothers...and the learning never ends. But I too am so thankful for the good examples I had in both my mom and mom-in-law.

corners of my life said...

Such a blessing - being a mother. Looks like it was a "job well done" for you.

Anne Delisle (Famille Gerdel) said...

Bonjour,

What a nice post... I like it.
Un bien joli billet... j'aime.

AnneXX
Québec City

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

Your bouquet of daughters are something to glory in! And grandchildren from one's daughter i hear is the best of the best. Beautiful family Judy!

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