Motherhood is challenging. And it's also mostly amazing. I feel as though I've aged so much in the last five years. But then I'm sure all of you have felt like this with each passing year. Yet the answer really is to persevere. With each curve or bend in the road, strive to not get thrown off...find your way back on track. This has been my mantra as of late. I've been practicing embracing life in the little moments... from music paired to the chef's knife chopping dinner's ingredients to losing LJ's first pair of glasses amidst all the packed, moving boxes (a new pair should be ready next week) to the kids' laughter residing in truth, wonderment and joy.
No matter what role I move in and out of in my life, I've tried to do so with an open heart. When joy has felt far away, my mama has always been there to tell me how deeply loved I am. Mama, trust that you are so deeply loved too. (and Mom, thank you for putting up with my challenging times as well as all my gratitude for all the joy and beauty in our other moments). My mom (and my mother-in-law too) is my hero. She has taught me so many life lessons and she can always clear my head of the cobwebs. My wonderful family and friends have also shown me so much love and support. Even though we don't get a ton of time together, I always feel my roots when I reflect on our time spent with one another. I'm incredibly lucky to feel such a strong, wonderful connection with all of you.
One other thing that has helped me feel grounded lately is the fellowship of other extra-ordinary moms going through similar scenarios I'm going through, dealing with surgeries, IEP meetings and insurance fights. There's this unspoken truth, that we don't want to be super-moms. We'd really rather just be a regular mom going through the normal adventures of parenting.
It helps me tremendously to know that it can be tough doing what we do, but finding comfort knowing that we are not alone. This world is so interconnected! One such super mom, Laura (she happens to also be a yogi!! and they have a service dog to help detect Simon's seizures...if you recall we are still dreaming of getting a mobility dog for LJ), writes a blog called Constraint Induced about her son's journey (Simon like LJ has cerebral palsy, as well as epilepsy and hydrocephalus). Laura's pictures, quotes and stories are an inspiration to us all, as is her own beautiful spirit. She gave me permission to share a link to her guest post on Rita Buettner's blog about perspective as a special-needs Mom, leading up to Mother's Day. You can find it here:
10 Things A Special-Needs Mom Learned the Hard Way
We do in fact, get to decide how we show up for the challenges we're faced with. This perspective of choice builds resilience and courage, and is a core aspect that mom's of "children with special rights" appreciate especially when we have little to no control over our obstacles. For it is only when things start to get awkward/really uncomfortable, do we have the impetus to do something about it. We can take all our dissatisfaction and use them as a tool for our transformation.
Thank you to all the daring Mom's out there. Stay open to the sweetness, open to the bitterness, open to giving and open to receiving. It's mostly amazing....and have a Happy Mother's Day!
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