Thoughts on Family and Motherhood

Warning... this is more of a rant than a pretty little post about being a mommy...

I have developed 2 particular pet peeves over the past 5, almost 6, years.  If you're interested in learning about them, read along...

(1)  "When are you planning to start a family?" 

Generally older women start asking young marrieds this question as soon as they return from honeymooning, then continue and continue and continue until you, Lord-willing, have a baby.  I just want to scream:  "We started a family on December 10, 2005!  Springer + me = family!"

Don't get me wrong... I am very thankful that God enlarged our family in November 2008 with the addition of our pup Jasper.  And I am out-of-my-mind in awe of the fact that he has chosen to give us a little boy in just a few weeks (7 more weeks!!)  But I think we were no less of a family when it was just the 2 of us in our little apartment in Augusta. 

(2)  "It's your last Mother's Day not being a mother!"

Am I not a mother until this little boy makes his entrance into the world?  If you define motherhood as caring for a little person and providing for their every need, um... I think I have done that for the past 33 weeks. 

But I think motherhood goes way beyond caring for a child of your own.  I would argue that any and every Young Life or youth leader has done their fair share of mothering or fathering.  I wish I could find my copy of "Captivating" by Stasi Eldredge.  She says this so much better than I can, but alas, I think I lent it out.  But the bottom line is that the second Sunday of each May, all women who "mother" should be celebrated. 

Luckily these comments were few and far between on Mother's Day, so I did my best to ignore them.  Instead I treasured those sweet hearts who did wish me a Happy Mother's Day.

A friend reminded me early in my pregnancy that there are no guarantees with our children.  The Lord gives them to us, but He may take them away at any time.  So I am thankful for every day I am getting to mother this little boy... and today I celebrate the family God has graciously given me.