Mothers Day

Today is a day where all moms are celebrated and we are noticed for how well we care for our children, despite everyday challenges. In my house though, I truly feel that I am appreciated every single day. My husband is a man that many women yearn for in the fact that he "gets" me and he "gets" IT. He has never Made me feel inferior or criticized me for my mothering or for my job as a mother. My husband knows that it's important for me to get "me" time and while that may almost always be short-lived, he gets it. My husband has never come home from work and asked my why something wasn't done. He has never claimed his job outside of the home is harder or more important or what provides the life we live. In fact, he can't say enough how hard being a mom is or how proud he is of me or, my personal favorite, "I don't know how you do it." And while I understand that today it's almost impossible for it to be a choice to stay home with your children, sometimes it's a necessity. A necessity because it is expensive to simply just LIVE today, let alone raise a child. I think it's urgent that we take a look around and appreciate all of the hard work that ALL mothers do to take care of their families. That we stop pointing fingers and just accept that we all are just doing the best we can with what we have. 

While many days are excruciatingly hard, others are smooth sailing, and some days I find myself just going with the motions. This is my third year as a mom and I have to say, each year gets more beautifully challenging than the next. More importantly, my fear is most high than anything. Fear that I'm not doing a good enough job, fear of not hitting milestones, fear of my son not appreciating me, and lastly, fear of the real world and the real dangers and unpredictability that comes with just being on earth. Of course I can't let my fear consume me. I can only do my best to live and love life everyday. 

With that, I'd like to take a moment and ask you to keep a woman, a mother, a wife with love so deeply wrapped around her family, Jacqui Saldana in your thoughts and prayers. Jacqui is the mother of Ryan Cruz Saldana, the 3 year old boy who was killed last week after being struck by a car. Ryan was the apple of her eye. He consumed her. He was her air. Her whole world was Ryan. With Ryan now gone and Mother's Day here, I can only pray for some sort of comfort and solice for Jacqui. I want her to know she will ALWAYS be HIS mother. She will always be Ryans mother. So please, just pray for her. 

Lastly, I would like to recognize two women who are near and dear to my heart; my sister, Heather and my mother in law, Pat. They have both been crucial in my evolution as a mother. I'll never forget when my MIL found out we were pregnant. She called me crying with happiness. It was then that I really knew everything was going to be okay. My sister who is a single mom and is a ROCKSTAR each and every day is my best friend. Heather is always there when I need her. She is always there to talk to and have fun with. And without the bond that we both have together, I don't know if we could have made it this far. My MIL and sister love my son to the ends of the earth and it always shows. Johnny has a relationship with the both of them that blows my mind and I know will be unbreakable. My MIL has never criticized me, only encouraged. She raised two outstanding men and I see how much work it took and I appreciate that to the fullest. I can talk to her about anything and she never judges. My sister is one of those people who was just born to be a mom. She has a certain calmness about her whenever she is surrounded by kids. She amazes me every single day and I'm so glad I get to raise my son with her as his God Mother and my niece as his best friend. There isn't a day that goes by where Johnny doesn't ask to see the both of them. The love is pure and I am so lucky to have you both. Thank you.