Christine Hodge is a good friend of mine who wittingly writes of motherhood woes and joys. She has willingly accepted my offer to be a guest on my blog ... but soon enough I know she will be blogging on her own!
The other night I was talking with a friend of mine who has a daughter who just turned one year old. That day my friend had come to a rather sobering realization that just about everything she accomplishes today will most likely have to be done again tomorrow (the dishes, putting away toys, straightening up the house, the list goes on). She also was saddened (actually a little angry) that she does all of these things over and over every day without a "thank you" from her daughter (and often her husband). Of course, she knows that her little girl can't verbally express her gratitude toward her mommy, but sadly she also knows that her daughter most likely wouldn't say "thanks" even if she could.
As moms, we've all been there--or will be there at some point. We've felt over-worked and under-appreciated and all we want is a little pat on the back (okay, a BIG pat on the back, or a back massage). We also want to do something that will last for more than 24 hours. When I get my car washed and vacuumed, I often tell my family to be careful in the car for at least a few days. "I'd like to see something stay clean for more than a few hours," I tell them. So I got to thinking about what my friend said and I had a revelation of my own. There are things that we, as moms, do everyday that we won't have to do again tomorrow. There are things that we can do today that will last forever. And I'm not talking about making scrapbooks!
Every day we have the opportunity to positively impact another person's life. Not the grocery store clerk or your child's preschool teacher, but your child--that little one God has entrusted into your care. The time that we spend with our children will last more than 24 hours, and much of what we teach them today won't have to be repeated again tomorrow (unless they're learning to tie their shoes). That should give us a little bit of that sense of accomplishment that we crave so much.
When I first realized that I had the awesome responsibility of instructing my little girls, I have to admit I was worried. I thought that meant that I had to help them memorize a scripture verse every day and have them reading articles out of the Reader's Digest by age 5 (yes, my mother-in-law said her firstborn did just that!) But having the responsibility of teaching my children does not mean I have to sit them down every day with a lesson to learn. It just means that I sprinkle a little bit of the Bible onto their cereal as I mention that God made the cows that give us milk. It means that I mix a little bit of Maturity into their playtime when I encourage my daughters to share. It means that I add a little bit of Prayer to our walks when my toddler scrapes her knee and I ask God to help it feel better. And it means that I throw a bit of Education into our day when I answer my daughter's question about why dogs shake their bodies (actually I never did come up with that answer).
As moms, there are things that we do--some without even thinking--that we won't have to do again tomorrow. But enough about that, I have to go do the dishes.
