Happy Mother's Day

Today, I woke up to the glorious aroma of fried bacon woven with a hint of coffee.  And one of the best parts of this morning: I did not get out of bed until 8:30 AM!  That is the equivalent of a teenager waking up at 1PM!  The two sandwiches (Audriana and Espen....they "sandwich" Haakon.  Get it?) did not wake up until 8:30 either!  Have you yet realized as you are reading this that I have used three exclamation marks it a row?  Yes, it was that kind of morning....thrilling, exciting, and oh, so delicious.  Haakon got up early with Daddy to head out the grocery store to pick up ingredients for crab eggs benedict....with a side of bacon.  Bjorn once again pulled out all the stops to showcase his secret culinary skills.  I stand in awe.  I have yet to attempt to poach or soft-boil eggs.  But he got it perfect on his first try.   Lucky ducky! The final result was amazing.  It was a wonderful breakfast treat to enjoy with all the loves of my life.  This truly was the best gift a mother could ask for: yummy food, a hunky husband (who cooks) and the MOST adorable babies anyone has ever laid eyes on!  Honestly.  I win! I win! I win!  Afterwards, we played and then loaded up the car to go wish Great-Grandma Kem a happy mother's day as well (unfortunately, Bjorn was not able to join us because of school and homework).  We delivered a stunning bouquet of sun flowers to Great Grandma and some beautiful farm fresh organic strawberries and shitake mushrooms to enjoy.  It was wonderful to spend the day with her, my Aunt Mony, Uncle Tho, and cousins.  Always so much fun to be with family and see my little babes play with their cousins.  And because we were in DC, I even got to squeeze in a trip to the Ikea.  I was pretty much a little kid in a candy store.  It took all my self control in the deepest recess of my will power to stop myself from buying all the super cool kitchen toys for the kids, not to mention tents and tunnels.  No wonder Grandma Kris' and Grandpa Byron's house is rampant with Ikea stuff for the grandbabies!

At any rate, in light of today's festivities, I just have to say that I am grateful to have been given the gift of motherhood.  Each time I carried and delivered each of my babies and looked into their eyes for the first time, I fell in love over and over again.  In each of their eyes, I saw all the things that I did right, all the love my soul possessed and all the hope I carried in my heart.  No matter what they choose to do in life or what path they take, I want them to always know that mama is always right behind them, ushering them forward to be the best person that they can be, and holding them upward.  As mothers, we hope that the things we choose for our children are the right things.  We agonize over the little details.  We second-guess ourselves.  We constantly wonder if we are raising good children.  Why do we do this?  I sometimes think that its because we try to make up for the mistakes and heartaches that we experience(d) in our own lives and we vainly (sometimes) try to keep those mistakes from our children as mothers.  But however vain or futile those attempts are, at the end of the day, I think it comes down to one thing: the intense love and protectiveness that is innately ingrained is us as maternal beings.  I would easily and quickly lay down my life for any or all of my babies if it meant that theirs would be saved or eased.  That is what motherhood means: sacrifice for the love of our children.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

My joy as a mother cannot go without credit to some of the women in my lives now.  I am so grateful to have been given the gift of a beautiful mother who has guided me from girlhood to womanhood and now to motherhood with such poise, patience and beauty.  I would be so lost without her.  She is the woman I strive to be.  I consider it an immense compliment when friends, family or strangers tell me that I am in some way shape or form like my mom.  It leaves with a big smile and a content heart.  Equally, the day I married my husband, I was given another gift: a mother-in-law who not only loves me like her own, but compounds me with grace, humility and selflessness.  I am tremendously lucky to be able to call these two women, Mom.  Through each of them, I was taught what it means to be, "mom."  I saw from my mother what it means to sacrifice for your children....to always put their needs first.  I learned that being a mom is much more than a three letter word.  Even if I had five lifetimes, I could not thank this woman enough for all that she has taught and the gifts she has bestowed upon me.  So rather than just  "happy mother's day," I think "thank you" says so much more.  From my mother-in-law, I saw just how generous a mother could be to a daughter who is merely related to her by marriage.  Her love and affection for me has never been restrained or bounded by the "in-law" part of our relationship.  She has taught me so much in the ability to just love.  I hope that when my daughter and sons are grown and have found their mates in life,  I will be just as generous in my ability to love.  I hope I will be able to extend the same grace, humility and selflessness that my mother-in-law has so generously given to me.  Thank you!  These women are incredible and I hope that you each of  you will have the opportunity soon to tell the incredible mom in your life how much she means to you.  I love you, Mom and MIL!

Happy Mothers Day and thank you for all that you do!