Reflections on Being a Mom

This is a photo from my "Pictures I Love" book. One might wonder "why" this would be in a book of my favorite photos, a book of pictures that makes my heart hurt. Here is the background story:


We used to have a shoe shelf by our door, a place to put our shoes when we came into the house. My thinking on this was that the floors would stay cleaner a little longer (thus less work for me) if we removed our shoes when we came into the house. In theory this was a great idea. In reality this shoe shelf became an extra shoe 'closet' and shoes would begin to pile up here. All sizes and sorts of shoes. And the misuse of this shoe shelf became a source of frustration. One day I was looking at this current pile of shoes and was about to get frustrated and start hollering for kids to come and get their shoes when the thought came to me: "Take a picture of this." So I did. I'm glad I did, and this is why:

• our children grow up way too fast
• not only do they grow up, but they leave home and take their shoes with them
• I'm glad that through the years we have had a "living" home and not a "looking" home, as Nick once said to me when I was lamenting about our house compared to a neighbor's house
• I have wonderful memories about having a house full of kids and lots of energy and action and commotion going on all the time, and these shoes remind me of that
• sometimes, even with a great plan in place like a shoe shelf, our kids have their own ideas about things and all the hollering only creates more frustration
• a mother's hope believes that the day will come when her children "get it", and plans like the shoe shelf will make sense to her children and they will choose to be obedient to the plan
• in the meantime, loving the children with big feet and small feet, while not enjoying the mess they will sometimes make with their shoes, is what it is to be a mother

So here's to me and all mothers. Sometimes it gets messy. Sometimes it gets crazy. Sometimes it gets sad. We love our children fiercely. Many a time have I been a mother bear with her claws out ready to do battle for a child. But most of the time it is funny and fascinating and lovely and wonderful and happy. And that's why we get up every morning with optimism and hope, curious to discover what a new day of motherhood will bring.

And to my children: you are the greatest kids. It is my honor to be your mom. I love you each, a bushel and a peck.