Day 13 of thankfulness is going to be centered around me. Yep, you heard it...me. Today, I'm going to be thankful for being able to be Mom and a wife.
When I first started this "wife" thing, I pretty much sucked at it. I couldn't cook anything but eggs, toast, boxed pizza, and brownies. I remember calling mom to get a recipe for her buttermilk biscuits. So, I went out to the store and bought the milk, flour, and shortening. Ohhh. When one says flour, it needs to be specifically spelled out "self-rising flour."
I made these little flattened patties that could have been used to knock out a cow. When my husband cracked one on the edge of the table, I didn't find it humorous. Shortly thereafter, my mother in law bought me a cookbook.
Housekeeping? Ha! My mom wasn't much on me helping out when I was home other than making my bed. She would rather do it herself, so that left me in a quandry. For some reason, when I came home, my house wasn't magically cleaned. And now, not only did I have to clean my own messes, I had to clean someone elses. Well, I didn't sign up for this.
After thirty six years of marriage, I'm doing better. I'm a really good cook. Housekeeping? Nya. I do okay but it's not one of my favorite things about being married. As a matter of fact, it's so much more fun to be writing a blog than mopping floors.
Sometimes when I grumble about picking up socks, or putting away dishes, I'm reminded of a ladies group meeting I attended one time. We were talking about these very things...dirty socks, dirty dishes, dirty house. One elderly widow lady quietly replied, "I just wish I had someone's socks to pick up."
Kind of puts a new perspective on this cleaning thing. So, now when I find myself grumbling, I remember her statement and am so thankful that I have a husband (not the socks, so much). I'm thankful that I have a husband who loves me above all others. It's such a good feeling to know someone wants me to be happy, someone who, when he sees me smile, makes him smile. It's good to know that I'm the most important thing in his life.
Yes, he spoils me pitifully and I enjoy the spoiling. It's not the things he gives me, but it's the reason he gives to me that spoils me. Everytime he brings me home a moonpie (my weakness), it says to me, "I was thinking of you today." He's so funny at Christmas time. He's always grinning and telling me he saw "ole Santy" at the store. I get so tickled at how much fun he has giving to me and it's fun to him because he loves me. And I love that.
I love being his wife. I love being introduced as his wife. I love that he wants to take me to his conferences and dinners. I love that he loves being with me. I love being his best friend.
Being a wife is like having this huge chocolate cake and you can eat it all without gaining any weight. Happiness. And being a mom is like smearing chocolate frosting all over it. Ecstasy.
I never knew happiness or love existed in such intensity, until I held my first child. My goodness, it makes your heart swell because there is so much love in there.
Being Mom has been the most satisfying experience of my life. I cannot comprehend how anyone could ever even contemplate harming those little souls, or leaving them, or putting my own wants ahead of theirs.
The job is demanding, exhausting, frustrating, aggravating, and overwhelming. It's also fulfilling, heartwarming, joyful, hilarious, and extremely rewarding. I wouldn't trade it for any amount of selfishness in the world. My children's lives are much more important than anything I could want, more important than anyplace I could go, more important than any selfish desires I could have. They are my life. And I love my life.
My children are all grown. I have a son in law and daughters in law. They all have their own lives, but the "mom" feeling is just the same. It never changes. 
I'm so thankful that the Lord allowed me to be a wife and mother. I'm so thankful for my husband. I'm so thankful for my children. Oh!.... and did I tell you about my grandchildren....
Proverbs 18:22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the Lord.
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave his life for it.
No comments:
Post a Comment