Momma Said There'd Be Days Like This

"Momma said there'd be days like this, there'd be days like this, my Momma said"... This 1960's song could not ring more true. I distinctly remember my Mom saying "Just wait until you're a Mom, and then you'll know."
Well Mom.... I know. I know what it is like to have a very clean house destroyed the instant your kids come home from school.
I know what it is like to spend the day preparing a yummy dinner, only to hear that it is the grossest meal anyone ever ate in their life.
I know what it is like to sit on the floor for hours next to the toilet where your toddler sits waiting for "something" to happen.
I know what it is like to be painfully exhausted after being up all night with a sick child.

And, while cleaning, cooking, toilet training, and sick children are my least favorite parts of motherhood, I also know what it is like to have my little one crawl into my lap and say 'I love you Momma'.

I know what it is like to gather my children around to read their favorite stories.

I know what it is like to watch my child perform a piano piece they spent many hours learning.

I know what it is like to pick my child up from school and be greeted with a bear hug that knocks me over.

I know what it is like to take my child for a walk and watch them discover every magical bug and animal along the way.

I know what it is like to lay by my child at night and hear about their adolescent struggles.

And, I know what it is like to look into my children's eyes, see their old soul, and know that while I influence their life, they are their own person, and I hope they will grow up to be better than me.

So, to my own mother, I say thank you.

Thank you for giving me room to be myself.

Thank you for singing my baby song on my darkest days.

Thank you for encouraging me to try new things and then for being there when I failed or succeeded.

Thank you for allowing me to struggle to get my boots on, but being there when I ultimately needed your help.

Thank you for always taking the opportunity to point things out and teach me.

Thank you for reading every scary book I got my hands on and then for listening to the details of my resulting nightmares.

Thank you for staying up late to watch a civil war drama with me.

Thank you for saturday nights with Dance Fever and pink sponge curlers.

Thank you for endless batches of fresh cookies and homemade popcorn.

Thank you for hours of talking at the kitchen counter.

Thank you for always being awake and ready to hear the details of my date night.

Thank you for our walks to exercise and visit.

Thank you for being an amazing grandma who adores my children.

Thank you for giving me the confidence to know that no matter what happens, I am truly loved.

"When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high..."

Mom, I love you.