Happy Momma's day, every day....

{something I blogged at work today, so I thought I would post it here too}

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14 years ago I had just returned to work from my first sabbatical and my first baby. My son was 11 months old and as a new, yet older mother (who had been told she would probably never have children) I was thrilled to celebrate my first Mother’s Day as a momma.

My little chubby boy had just started his stumbling first steps as I was stumbling through my first steps as a momma, working full-time at Intel. So many of my days and nights were a blurry-whirl of interrupted sleep, day-care juggling, nursing -mother business travel challenges and just surviving life. Life was pretty hectic.

Even in the scramble, I was so enamored with my little guy, that I rushed to his daycare at lunch hour to spend that cut-out of time in my busy day with him. I couldn't stand not to! I walked out of FM1 each evening with a pounding heartbeat, and goofy grin on my face, thrilled that it was time to go pick up my baby!

14 years and 4 little minions later, I look at this mother’s day, still thrilled to be a momma, still juggling work and family, and űber-aware of the time-warp that happens with growing kids. My first little man now wears size 13 shoes, is running for student body president and chomping at the bit to learn to drive. I have two “tween”-agers burning up the basketball courts and my little third-grader who can’t understand why she can’t do all the things her big brothers and sister do. Being a momma in the thick of it, when most my same-aged friends are celebrating graduations, weddings and grandkids, I have one message share to all momma’s:

Savor this day

Find the joys, blessings and little gifts tucked in even the most hectic of days. Take a moment to notice them. Touch, hug, smile, notice. Slow and be present in those moments we share with them. Even the messy diapers, dirty, size-13 socks, empty snack bags scattered around the house and 5 gallons of milk on the grocery list are a momma’s gifts. On mother’s day, I realize it is not a card, or candle, flowers or even anything handmade that is the true gift. The true gift is the gift of time. The gift of being present, of all these moments, walking through this life together, as mother and child.

I want to see all of it.

Happy Momma's day, every day.

Sandee