I love that we set aside a whole day to honor and celebrate the women who raised us. Mother’s Day holds a special place in my heart because of the little ones who made me a mom.
As a mom, we are foundation builders for our children.
Home builders learn quickly that what you start with influences everything that follows, and the same can be applied to laying strong groundwork in our children. Foundation is everything. You probably don’t even think about your home’s foundation unless there’s a problem. A strong, level foundation built up to code provides a certain balance for your house. The same is true for families.
The word foundation is defined as “the lowest load bearing part of a building, typically below ground level.” A lot of what mothers do could definitely be described as behind the scenes or “below ground level.” Without our constant attention to detail, nurturing, and care for our families, it seems as if our homes would most likely crumble.
There’s a quote I came across earlier this year that said, “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but have never failed to imitate them.” This is so true! So, I began to ask myself would I want my children to imitate the things they see in my life?
I’m sure we can all think of things we say or do that we picked up from our own mothers that we have carried on in our homes. Perhaps it’s a funny saying you thought you’d never repeat (“Because I said so!”) or a tradition your mom started that you are now doing with your family. On the flip side, we probably all have a bad habit or two that we picked up from imitating someone else.
When I started writing this post, I wanted it to be all about the joy of motherhood, but when I thought about all the strong women around me, it didn’t take me long to realize the name “mom” isn’t easy to come by. It’s not easy to be a mother and carry the 24/7 responsibility, and not to mention women who long to be mothers, to have more children, or any number of circumstances. 
I love reading funny parenting memes on social media and have certainly laughed about the hard parts of motherhood with other moms. Being a mom is no small task and it’s good to laugh about things sometimes. But I think at the same time, we should try to equally vocalize all the good and wonderful parts of motherhood. So many women are watching and listening to us and taking things to heart through the lens of their circumstances and perhaps wishing or desiring what we have today.
It’s so hard to find a balance in all areas of life and none of us will ever get this exactly right, but I think as a whole, our society should speak up more about the blessing that motherhood is.
I truly believe motherhood is sacred. It’s an immense responsibility while at the same time, the most incredible gift. I hope you feel celebrated this Mother’s Day. And no matter what season you find yourself in, know that you are loved and appreciated.
What you do for your family and within the walls of your home matters for eternity. As Mother Theresa put it, “Love begins by taking care of the closest ones, the ones at home.”
