Mother's Day

So, yesterday was Mother's Day. Just another holiday that lands on a Sunday. I know for most people it's probably a great day to celebrate their moms, but for me this has always been one of the days that it's hard to be a pastor's wife.

I tend to build up holidays in my mind. Every December I have to remind myself to calm down, not to build up the anticipation of Christmas. If I'm not careful, I create visions in my head that are larger than life. Definitely larger than the reality of our life with 5 small children. Then I have to deal with the day after Christmas, when I'm teary and let down over the gift I didn't get or the reaction to the gifts I gave. Or the fact that we never end up playing board games. For some reason I feel like we should play board games on holidays. So, I repeat this pattern all year long. Anticipation of my birthday, our anniversary, vacations, and holidays. Especially Sunday holidays.

It's not that it's his fault. He's a pastor and pastors work on Sundays. So, every year I try to prepare myself for the let down. He'll be busy and my kids are too little, so it'll be a normal Sunday. He'll leave early in the morning and I will get everyone up, dressed, fed, me dressed (and fed if I'm lucky), diaper bags packed, everyone loaded in the car, everyone unloaded from the car, into the stroller, checked into class, do my trek through church to the 5 different classes to drop them off, sit through service, go to all 5 classes again for pick ups, loaded in the stroller, into the car, out of the car, into the house, quick lunches, and finally...naps. And that's just the "mom" part of my responsibilities. I'll go into the other "responsibilities" of a pastor's wife at another time! I'm not complaining. I love what we do and I love my kids. I feel the benefits far outweigh the cost. But on some days, like Mother's Day, it's hard.

This year was different. I was at home on Friday when a package arrived at my door. It was 2 dozen roses! What? What for? From who? Of course, from Brad. Happy Mother's Day to me! It turns out, they were supposed to arrive on Saturday for my surprise Mother's Day :) So, Saturday I woke up slowly and drank my coffee, checked my computer, watched the news from the comfort of my bed. Brad and the kids brought me breakfast. The kids brought me their gifts from school. Caleb had made a pin for me that he handmade, complete with 5 little beads in the middle. Emma made a plaster mold of her tiny little hand. The detail of her tiny fingernails and every crease on her petite hand brought tears to my eyes. Paige made a flower pot with plastic jewels pasted on it with her paper hand prints inside as the flowers. They each had a handmade card for me.

That time was priceless. The only Mother's Day I will ever have with my children at ages 7, 6, 4, 2 and 11 months. I loved every minute of it.

So, Sunday I awoke refreshed and rested. I felt so appreciated and loved. So, I didn't mind that he had to leave early. I didn't mind the work of my morning routine. I arrived at church ready to give of myself and ready to spend the day appreciating the moms in my life, especially my mom, who gives unconditionally and continually.

So, to my wonderful husband who made Mother's Day so special this year...thank you.