The lovely thing about being a mom

Today marks my 12th Mother's Day. The first one was a warm NY day, and a nice woman at an ice cream place near Union Square gave me—a young woman, about six weeks from giving birth for the first time — my cone for free.

The lovely thing about being a mom is that you are automatically part of a special club—one that warrants a free ice cream cone when you are on the cusp of joining it. With your membership comes an understanding of the intense pride, protectiveness, and love women feel for their children. No matter how much I read about this before having children, I could not understand it without feeling it.

The lovely thing about being a mom is there are three people here who want me to tell them good night, every night, no matter how crabby I've been that night. What a capacity to forgive and forget!

The lovely thing about being a mom is discovering hobbies you can both truly enjoy together.
These things give you a glimpse at the type of relationship you may have when your children are adults. 

The lovely thing about being a mom (at my house anyway) is you get to decide what your family eats. It is a small but mighty power.

The lovely thing about being a mom is you are going to have the chance to teach your children the things your mom taught you. I'll teach my girls how to put on lipstick. I'll teach my son to fry eggs in bacon grease for a once-in-a-while treat. They are small lessons, but you feel more connected to your mom and sisters, for they too learned the same lessons.

The lovely thing about being a mom is that you get to share your best work with a larger world, just by sending your child to school. As a mom, I just want everyone to see what I see, that my kids have special gifts! Teachers specialize in identifying and praising those gifts. Even better, they help their students discover those gifts for themselves.

The lovely thing about being a mom is that finding beauty in your
everyday life is as easy as looking at your child. 

The lovely thing about being a mom is sharing the job of parenting with dad. Every funny moment, every joy, every moment of pride is made a bit sweeter by sharing it with him.

The lovely thing about being a mom is that at least once a year, you will get a card that helps you see how your children see you. There might be a metaphor comparing you to diamonds. There might be a list of ways your child knows that you love them. One thing is for sure: It will make you tear up and you'll save it forever.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone celebrating today! May you enjoy a day filled with lovely moments.

A LOVELY MOMENT FROM TODAY: My daughter is making cupcakes for me today. It is a lovely gesture, but it has also given me practice in leaving her alone and letting her do it the way she wants to. Oh, why is is so hard to let your children figure things out for themselves!?