Mothering is Like Gardening

 I spent a lot of time outside today in the garden, that is after I took Mr. 19 year old to the airport and sent him on his way.  You all know that Motherhood has been on my mind a lot lately, well today is no different. 

 It seems to me that Motherhood is a lot like gardening.  You carefully plant a plant or a seed hoping for the best.  You care for that plant watering, fertilizing and making sure it gets lots of sun, and sometimes you have an amazing flower and sometimes things go wrong.  No matter how hard you try things just may not turn out the way you want them to. 

Gardening like motherhood brings you to your knees, there is sometimes backbreaking work to be done, and sometimes there is a time to be still, and watch, letting the plant grow at it's own speed.

You get yourself all dirty, you sweat and swear a bit too.  You keep your fingers crossed that there will be a beautiful garden growing from all your hard work, but sometimes it is too sunny or hot, or too rainy and there are pests that eat your plants and weeds popping up every time you turn around.  Sometimes you have planted things too close together or you have stood by too long and things have gotten out of control, and find out that now it is much harder to get things back on track, but you have to you have no choice.

And sometimes you are blessed with a beautiful bloom that was hiding in the dark waiting for the perfect time to show up and make you smile.

To all you women out there I wish you a wonderful day tomorrow.  I don't believe you have to have children of your own to celebrate Mother's Day.  There are all kinds of ways to be a positive influence in someones life and that needs to be celebrated for the mothering that it is.  Maybe you have a classroom full of children you mother everyday, or pets at home that you share your love with.  Maybe you are a special aunt or neighbor that provides love for someone who needs it.  Maybe you mother your friends and co-workers. Maybe you are now mothering your parents because of their ages and now the role of daughter has turned more into the role of a parent.  I hope you all see how wonderful you are loving and helping others.  So in the garden of my life I celebrate my children, the children I work with, and all the other young adults I am around, but I also celebrate each and everyone of you.

Happy Mother's Day.