This year, as my sweet little family celebrates Mother’s Day and all the wonderful mothers we have in our life, I started thinking about the Mothers who take care of other Mothers. As we all know, motherhood is one of the most beautiful and most difficult things we do in life, and we would not survive it if it weren’t for other mothers. And in the South, especially, we regard our Mothers as near heavenly creatures who have direct phone lines to God Himself. (Scott says we ended up with a dog because my mother prayed for the kids to get one and the next day a stray showed up in our yard.)
So . . . to all the Mothers who are taking care of other Mothers, here’s to you.
Here’s to the Mothers whose daughters have babies and who show up at their daughters’ homes to cook a meal, wash a load of clothes, cradle a sleeping newborn just to let the new mom sleep for a few hours. These Mothers understand the exhaustion and emotions of a new Mother, and comfort and encourage her as only a Mother can.
Here’s to the Mother-in-laws, who generously love and nurture their son’s wife, knowing that her support and encouragement make all the difference to a young Mother.
Here’s to the Mothers whose friends are Mothers and they know just how it feels to be going through life with toddlers. They show up with coffee and donuts as the kids run wild through the house and laugh or cry over this crazy life.
Here’s to the Mothers who are teachers and understand how hard it is for Mothers to send their littles off to school every morning with homework done, teeth brushed, and backpacks packed, and who give those Mothers lots of grace when it doesn’t quite get all done.
Here’s to the Mothers who have experienced the teenage years and tell other Mothers who are just at the beginning that everything will be ok. That they will survive it and may even end up liking their kids a little bit more on the other side.
Here’s to the Mothers who smile at other Mothers with kids running in circles in the grocery store and then help them unload their cart onto the check-out counter.
Here’s to the Mothers who are nurses and who give an encouraging hug and kind words to a Mother when her child is sick or hurting.
Here’s to the Mothers who laugh with other Mothers when they share a story about potty-training or puberty or dating.
Here’s to the Mothers who cry with other Mothers when there are no words to describe the pain.
Here’s to the Mothers who had no children of their own, but care for other Mothers’ children as if they were their own.
Here’s to the Mothers who extend a hand of help and grace to other Mothers in desperate times – passing out emergency food, collecting supplies, offering shelter regardless of where the other Mother is from or what has happened in her life.
Here’s to the Mothers who are raising little Mothers-to-be, who show their daughters that women can be strong and kind and beautiful.
Here’s to the Mothers who are taking care of the Mothers who are wrinkled and worn – who have lived their lives and are nearing the end of their days here on Earth.
Here’s to the Mothers all over this world who take the time to care for other Mothers.
