Dear Kids, Thanks for making me a mom.

Last night I escaped.  As soon as my  husband got home I said I needed to go to the store....for a LONG time.  He said that was fine because that's just  the kind of guy he is.  I took my grocery list but before going to Wal-Mart (which is I think the antithesis of relaxation for me) I stopped at another store that I actually like.  I just walked around for a good hour being alone.  I didn't worry about hurrying because it was almost nap time.  I didn't have to bring any bags full of Cheerios or keep sippy cups in my purse in order to ensure a peaceful experience.  Not one time did I have to tell someone to stop hanging on the cart or to put something back on the shelf because we weren't going to get it.  It was a very quiet experience.  And I was enjoying it.

 But as I thumbed through the inventory of the store something happened.  I noticed the people around me.  They had kids with them.  And maybe it was fate or maybe it just happens all the time and I am too absorbed in my own list to notice but this time I saw something that I don't usually see.  One mom was on the phone saying that her kids were driving her crazy.  One mom was telling her child that he had better get back here or he was going to get it.  I heard "stop crying" and "don't do that" and all the sudden something came to me...sometimes we miss out on the greatness of having kids.

I stopped and thought for a moment in the store (I could do that because I was alone).  I thought about what life would be like if I had this kind of freedom every day.  What if I never had to take another kid to the store with me?  What if I never had to make their breakfast and I never had to tuck them in at night.  And what if I never had to teach them to be polite and how to get along and I never had to stay up all night when they were sick?  How would that feel?  Relaxing?  Liberating?....Sad.? Boring.

When I arrived home I found a chunk of hair on the bathroom floor that was the result of my four year old's sudden interest in becoming a barber while I was gone....later I saw the bald spots.

This morning I awoke to an eight year old who was making me waffles all by herself.  The first batch she made was a little greasy.  Come to find out she had used two cups of oil instead of two Tablespoons. The kitchen looked like a waffle factory explosion and she was so proud of her work.

And then when it was time for church we were late because I could not for the life of me find my other shoe.  Eventually we located it in my son's closet and he recalled (while giggling) that my toddler had dragged it in there.

As we drove together to church I smiled.  "Happy Mother's Day to me" I thought.  And I actually meant it.  My life is interesting, it's full of little characters.  I have three little people who love me and make me laugh.  I never know what will happen next.  Without them it would be so empty.

They have taught me patience.  They have taught me that I can do things that I thought I was too tired to do.  They have brought sunshine to otherwise drab days and they have taught me that I can love someone even when they occasionally drive me crazy.  They are making me a better person and enriching my every day.  So, thanks kids.  Thanks for making me a  mom.  I can't imagine of a better way to live.