Mothers.

2003

Mother's Day is such a beautiful time to celebrate those women in our lives who have made a difference. However, I don't think one day is enough to express to our Mothers how much we love and appreciate them.
My Muth is so incredible and I love her so much. Her example motivates me to be the best mother I can be. I hope to continue the legacy of generations (on all sides) of beautiful selfless mothers.

2005

2005

I have received this as an email (below) several times. I hate to be cheesy, but every time I read it, it rings so true. I immediately think of my mom and mother-in-law and probably years of feeling "invisible". I am only 4 years into this gig (today is my Cason's 4th birthday) and I already feel invisible at times. I think the hardest thing about being a mother is losing your identity, your individuality. But I also think that is why it is so rewarding and beautiful because you invest your whole self in your children. You are invested in every bite they take, every word they speak, every friend they make, every new skill they learn. Every good day, every bad day. The dirt under each fingernail, every mismatched outfit they put on, every tantrum in public, each picture they draw. Everything. I feel so blessed to be a mother. What a glorious opportunity God has given me (us).

Invisible Mother.....
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the
Way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and
ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the
phone?'
Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or
sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because
No one can see me at all. I'm invisible.. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a
pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you
open this??
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a
clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What
Number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30,
please.'
Some days I'm a crystal ball; 'Where's my other sock?, Where's my
phone?, What's for dinner?'
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the
eyes that studied history, music and literature -but now, they had
disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going,
she's going, she's gone!?
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a
friend from England . She had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and
She was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting
there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not
to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when
she turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said,
I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe.
I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her
Inscription: 'With admiration for the greatness of what you are building
when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devoured - the book. And I would
discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which
I could pattern my work:

1) No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.

2) These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.

3) They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

4) The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A story of legend in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the
cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny
bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, “Why are you
spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered
by the roof, No one will ever see it.
And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was
almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I see the
sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.

No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake
you've baked, no Cub Scout meeting, no last minute errand is too small
for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't
see right now what it will become.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one
of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to
work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the
book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our
lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's
bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning
and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3
hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd
built a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if
there is anything more to say to his friend, he'd say, 'You're gonna love it
there...'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're
doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will
marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible mothers.
.........

1987

Happy Mother's Day
to beautiful women everywhere (literal mothers or not).
There are so many women in my life who have influenced me for good.
Thank you.