Mother's Day and Other Thoughts

It has been raining all week. When it rains, my back pain is always much worse - so I have been in a lot of agony. This morning I am sitting here at my computer and the sun is trying to peek out of its hiding place behind all those clouds, but I am not sure, based on the weather reports, it will succeed.
As I was sitting, gazing out the window, a bright red male cardinal flew into our cherry tree, then hopped onto the grass pecking around. What a lovely color contrast of the redness in the green. While he was poking around a lovely blue jay perched on our Adirondack chair, looking around in every direction. Again the color contrast of the deep blue bird with the dull gray chair was so vivid.
Tomorrow is Mother's Day. When my hubby's Dad passed away in January, we realized WE are now the older generation in our family. We no longer have our mothers to honor on Mother's Day, except in our memories.
My mother grew up as one of seven children of a migrant farmer in central Tennessee. They were poor but did not know it. When she married, she was uprooted to NJ, where they raised five children of their own, of which I am the oldest.
We did not have a lot but my mother always tried to make things fun. A lot of responsibility fell to me as the oldest, and has left its mark on me as an adult.
I married and we have three children, a wonderful son in law and a beloved grandson. SO tomorrow will be Mother's Day.
From the time I was pretty young, I knew I loved children. When I was in sixth grade I decided my life's profession would to be a teacher. But what I really wanted was to be a mother and have children of my own.
After getting married, I was excited at the prospect of having children. Unfortunately a medical condition made it difficult for me to get pregnant. After five years, we still had no children. I began to wonder if it would ever happen.
One day the smell of coffee (which I drank daily, many cups, and black) made me feel nauseous. I did not really pay any mind to that. It was nearing the end of the school year, and I had plenty to keep me occupied. In June I went for a pregnancy test - and praise the Lord it was positive! Finally I was going to have a baby! What joy filled my heart!
I finished the school year, not telling anyone at school my news, it would be obvious enough when I returned in the fall.
I enjoyed being pregnant. I never felt sick (except at the smell of coffee). I loved feeling the kicking and movements within me. I used to talk and sing to my baby.
In December my water broke the day the baby was due and off we sped to the hospital. The bottom line is I had to have a C-section and our beautiful little girl was born in the early afternoon, weighing 9 pounds, 4 ounces.
Three years later she was joined by a brother (who weighed 11 pounds and 4 ounces) and two years after that another brother (10 pounds, 4 ounces). I became a mother - the best and hardest job I could ever imagine. It is full of love and heartbreak, of challenges and disappointments, of questions and unknowns. The job description includes being a doctor, cook, chauffeur, teacher, pastor, maid, launderer, and so much more.
Being a mother changes your life forever - never did I imagine how much.
SO tomorrow is Mother's Day - and I am thrilled to spend it with the family God has blessed me with.