My Mothers Day Testimony

I was watching a television the other day and I saw this beautiful commercial by Procter and Gamble:




I cry like a baby every time I watch it because I think of my own children and how quickly they're growing into little people with dreams of their own. Even at four and seven, they seem so big to me now because I so vividly remember holding each of their tiny little hands in my own after they were born.

My little girl, age four, and the most beautiful ballerina I've ever seen, is coming into her own more and more each day. She's like a sponge, soaking up every experience and making me pause to appreciate even the simplest of things as she sees them through her own very unique perspective.

Her smile melts me even on the most difficult of days because I know there is nothing but love and adoration behind it. And it is that adoration and love that makes me want to rope the moon for her if I can.

She is my princess and I cannot imagine a more perfect bond than the one I know we will have as she grows older.

My son, seven, is  smart, funny, and so full of life that it's nearly contagious. And as I shuttle him back and forth to soccer, karate, or scouts, I see the wonderful little boy he's becoming and I can't help but smile at how proud I am of how well he's making his way through this world.

He protects his sister, no matter what, and he is always willing to lend a helping hand to me or dad—no matter what the task—simply because he wants so much for us to be proud of him. He loves having a reason to make us smile and say "atta boy" because to him that means everything—and to us that means the world.

His compassion towards others is beautiful to see and I love how he's always leaving me little notes to say how great a mom he thinks I am or how much he loves his family.

He is our little man of the house and even at seven-years old, he's not ashamed to give his mom a kiss and hug in front of his friends in the carpool line :)

My children make every sacrifice worth it for me because their love is priceless and there aren't enough adjectives to express how blessed and favored I feel simply for being given the opportunity to be their mother. They are my divine gifts from above and on Mothers Day and every other I say "Thank You" to Him for loving me enough to send these two beautiful spirits into our lives.

So, from one mother to all the current and future mommies, I say Happy Mothers Day! We are all blessed beyond measure.

What About Your Friends?

You are reborn as a woman once you become a mother. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that our view of the world changes the moment we look into our child's eyes and know that we are responsible for the success of that life. For me, at least, it was an overwhelming moment of excitement, love, and fear because there had been nothing in my life, prior to that point, that could have prepared me for the utter helplessness I felt at that moment.

It's an amazing feeling that I have been blessed to experience twice, and it's something that I often tell friends they have to go through personally to understand.

That said, many of us find that in becoming this new person—oft times as a result of childbirth or marriage—with new responsibilities, and a more focused sense of purpose, we feel pressured to re-evaluate the place others hold in our lives—particularly where friendships with single, childless, individuals are concerned.

Some of us automatically come to the conclusion that those people are no longer relevant in our lives in the way they were before, and we slowly—sometimes without intention—begin to eliminate them from our inner circle. We either forget how to be their friend, or assume they no longer want to be friends with us.

It's a mistake that is often made and, more times than not, those friendships are impossible to repair once they're broken.

Understand this, just because a person has chosen to live a life devoid of a spouse, a child, or both, that does not mean they will be unwilling to accept your new life, and your new experiences in that life.

Any person who has been with you through the good and the bad will likely be game for an adjustment in how your friendship is defined and they will, hopefully, be open to taking the steps it requires to respect the "death" of the carefree, unrestricted person that you were in order to  get acquainted with the harried, slightly flaky person you are likely to become. So you, in turn, should make the effort to be inclusive and allow them the chance to show you how much of your new world they want to be a part of before you make the decision to exclude them altogether.

If they are willing to bend and work with you, and the new demands in your life (demands that will often make calling, spending time with, and being a good friend to them difficult from time to time), then you will find that your friendship will grow and become an even more rewarding part of your new life.

However, if they pull away and distance themselves from you, then you know they weren't meant to continue the journey with you, and you will have to bid them a painful goodbye.

Either way, it takes two to make a friendship work, so don't leave your friend without a say. Good friends don't do such things.