This is an older shot but life is still the same. How do we do it as mother's? Seriously! We juggle so much, and when we finally have the time to sit down..." Mama, can you wipe my butt?" or "Mama, can you get me ____?" "Mama, can you help me get dressed?" If you are a Mom, you know what I am talking about.
Sometimes I just want to say "NO, I can't- do it yourself," then you realize that they ask because they love and need you! Some how I wonder how Mamas do it. One of the strongest memory of shared motherhood experiences was with my Grandmother (MJ's great grandmother). We were visiting them in the N. GA mountains (yes the house with the rock). MJ (our oldest) was about 4 years old dancing with her Great Granddaddy in the den, which was right off the kitchen. Great Grandmother was cooking in the kitchen, I was with my Mother, Father, MJ, Great Granddaddy, and rocking MU (our boy and middle child) in my arms while 1 month away from giving birth to our third child (MK). Yes, I know they all are M- names- not my intent. MJ is dancing, I am rocking MU, with a giant baby belly, when Great Grandmother looks at me and asks, "How do you do it Katie?" I responded quickly while looking at her in amazement and said, " Me? How did YOU do it?" As a side note, she was also a priest wife of a large parish however, she had 8... yes I said it EIGHT children!!!! She simply said, "By the grace of God!" I was amazed and relived to hear her simple response since I know my many silent prayers for God's grace and direction has gotten me through some rough times in child rearing!
What keeps you motivated when your dining room table, house, or life looks like this? What are your priorities, and more importantly, what are we teaching our kids to put first? If this pandemic has taught me anything, is that slowing down and spending time with family is important and fulfilling. We cannot raise our kiddos alone! It does take a village! Do not ever be afraid to say "I need help," or "I cannot do this on my own." Know you have a community, we are all going through the same things, slow down, pray, and know God's grace will always get you through another day of this beautiful, chaotic, perfect, pretty little hot mess express of a mom life! As mothers all we need to do is raise our children, with the help of God's grace, and love our neighbors as our selves. The rest will all fall into place.
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
