As a midwife, I get a chance to take a small glimpse into
the lives of mothers to some extent and what they do for their children. Having no children of my own, I don't
understand the full concept of what it is to be a mother. I feel though that it
gives me a “outside looking in” perspective. I have been able to observe
mothers and mothering in many various aspects from family, to friends, and
clients and just in our culture in general. If I am honest, mothers are my
heroes.
I really do feel that mothers are critical part to causing
life change and influencing our world. Changing a diaper or wiping the face, or
taking someone to soccer may seem insignificant in your mind or may become
routine; but for a child it is the world because it is the future. The time
that you take to read a book, to listen to a story they tell you even if it
doesn't make sense, to pay attention to them in the small moments of life can
impact them for life.
It is so easy in the fast pace of life that we all are
living to get caught up in activities and schedules, in laundry baskets full of
clothes and look past or negate the beauty of growth together. You can’t deny
that change comes with its challenges and frustrations. There are learning
curves for each parent and child and the dynamics in the back-and-forth between
each. Yes! Fluid changes are occurring all around us every day from the
physical to the emotional; as a result, we need to give ourselves a little
credit and celebrate them.
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I remember my mom still to this day taking us children down
to the pond to find tadpoles in the spring before they all turned into frogs.
She would get her net and her rubber boots on and head to the pond as we all
stood watching close by. She was eager to show us the transformation that
occurred of the tadpole into a frog. Of course, as children we were mesmerized.
I think what stuck with me the most however was that my mother took time for
the little things in life. She enhanced our imagination by using hers. She
sacrificed so many things for us. She made opportunities when there weren’t
any. If there wasn't a program available for her kids to participate in she
made one. To dispel some popular beliefs
motherhood is a full-time job! Keep being world changers moms.
May I encourage you not to over schedule you and your kids
to feel adequate as a mother or because you think your kids will be better off.
Simple is sometimes better. My 9 month old nephew grasp this concept well. Even
with several boxes of toys and multiple books, he is more happy to play with a
simple wooden spoon on the kitchen floor while his momma cooks dinner. Time is
important. Listening is important. Loving is important. And as a midwife I see
the importance of taking each moment in. From those very first moments where
you hear the heartbeat of a child in the womb to their first cry as they enter
the world and beyond. Each of these are what life is really about. You don't
get those back. So my advice is don't take them for granted. Be present!
“I would not choose to become a child again but I am looking to children and searching in them for a simplicity and ordinariness that makes being an adult easier to accept and miracles easier to see.”-Macrina Wiekerkehr, Seasons of Your Heart
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present."
-Bill Keane
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