Happy Mother's Day to all the moms in my life!!

Today is mothers day - hmm what does that really mean to us moms? A day off (snicker), a holiday of pampering NOT. To me Mother's day is a day to reflect on what it is to be a mother and of all the mothers in my life. So here is my rambling thoughts on some of the women who I think of this mother's day!!

My mother a wonderful woman- but we'll never understand each other. my life revolves around my family, my work and my passion for fibre and animals. My mother is Martha Stewart on steroids. Both lives are wonderful but are very different in terms of priority and comfort. I respect my mother very much - I look like her -I've come to realize that but inside we are seperate people. I hope I share many of her good qualities -strength, love of family, endurance for the long road and deep abiding faith. I wish someday she understands that I have to be who I am - I am so happy now being mom to Jared and Lindsay and wife to Daryl. Nothing in this life that I do will ever mean more than this.

My mother in law -the woman who gave me my husband - I respect her deeply and have much more in common with her than my real mother. She too loves fibre and the arts that go with it. She too is a great example to me in terms of resilency and strength.

My aunts -My Aunt Karla who has never been a mother herself but has given me more love and mothering than I ever has deserved. To her I salute her dedication to life and the santity of the earth and all that it pocesses. To the other who I am proud to call my friend and mentor Peggy I salute her hard work ethic and her ability to never give up even when life is so bleak it is scary.

To my adopted mother "Jane" I salute her power and ability to keep going when life throws her curves of epic proportions and thank her for being my shoulder to cry on when the world seem tough.

To my grandmothers -all three of them these thoughts.
My Beppe who survived so much terror and pain throughout life and still maintained a smile and the words "God is looking out for us always -life is a joy never a curse" I sit and cry at my loss of you -my mentor and life path guardian.
To my other grandmother who I never met in this life I shake my head and cry at the strength you had to let my dad go to be raised by two strangers knowing he would have a better life elsewhere than with you. I cannot even begin to imagine how much it must have hurt for you to go on, never seeing him face to face. You too have left an imprint on me -to cherish each day with my children knowing they are a true gift of God.
To my Oma who rasied my dad I give you my thanks for raising my dad to be the man he is -he is a rock in my life. He learned to be tough from you and to be strong. He also learned how to be hurt though - you hurt him deeply and for that I can never forget. I also wonder even now why I was never good enough for you?? What had I done to you to always be left out from the others -was it I looked like my mother?? Was it I didn't fit your mold?? We'll never know but I look back now and realize that who I am is who I am -if you couldn't be proud of me then too bad -I am ME!!

I never thought I would be a mom. I was told at 24 that I could never have children -that scarring from fibroids would never allow me to give birth. Well guess what they were wrong - I don't need to win the lottery - I have more wealth than I could ever imagine. Of course I also swore I would never get married and have kids so God is laughing his head off up there.
I have learned strength from being a mom, I have learned soul crashing hurt and pain, I have learned patience (can I please have lots more of this God??), and most of all I have learned there is so much Joy in this world that I never would have seen or felt had I not become a mom.

So to all of you MOMs on this earth (and to the Earth herself -our greatest mother) -I salute you this mothers day. Mom are not the people who give birth to you -there are the people who help shape you and love you, comfort and guide you, and are always there for you!