My weekend

One would think that being stuck in a house with three little girls for the whole weekend would have driven me bonkers. Well it didn't. In fact, it was one of my best weekends in recent times.

I know that some family members found me rather dull when I was a stay-at-home mom. I think Passionfruit thought I was a bore. However, I would have to say that I really did enjoy being a professional mommy. I loved being able to run around doing what I wanted to do most of the time. Yes. I was a mother centered on my children. They were my world and my companions. Yes. There were times when I was lonely and bored. But overall I had fun with them.

But this weekend was a return to what it was like with the kids on a full-time bases. I allowed them to crawl all over me. I allowed them to jump on me. We played games. We read books. They made hot chocolate for themselves. I did the laundry. We baked pies. My house is a wreck but we had a good time together.

Now I have to admit that I can not say that I would have had such a good time if Passionfruit hadn't been here to spell me at times. I actually got to go to the bathroom alone a few times. This weekend should be remembered by all as a good weekend... a good memory. I'm glad we had this time together.

When I reflect on being a working mother I realize that I won't be "loyal" to the outside work. I want to be loyal to my children. I want to be involved with them. It was this weekend that I found out that DQ is teased at school for being Chinese. What can one say? It hurts to be teased but I told her that children always tease others for their differences. I asked her to think about all the kids in her school. I asked her whether all the children are a like? Their not. So I asked her whether she thought everyone of the students has been teased at one time or another. DQ didn't seem too upset after that.

There is a book at my library that is relatively new. The title is More than just a mother. I find this title offensive. I never stopped to look at it because I bristle everytime I look at it. Being a mother is one of the most difficult jobs a woman could ever take on in her life. Her charges are the most critical of her and are the ones that love her. I cherish my children. They are my life in the most profound way. I think the title should be More than just a woman. Any female born can be a woman but not all women can be a mother. I have a friend that I share the challenges of mothering. We often discuss our fears. Fears of whether we are mothering well. We fear that we are hurting our children. At that particular lunch we realized that those that do abuse children don't really worry about hurting their children. Yes, my friend, parenting is one of the most difficult, challenging, exhausting roles we live but I think we are doing the best we can. And I think our best is above average. Our Christian life is challenged by our children but think what our role model puts up with for thousands of years. Errant children frustrate God, don't you think? One can almost look at the New Testament as God looking for a positive way to deal with his challenging offspring. Think about it. The New Testament is all positive and loving but I don't think it is one hundred percent effective in getting God's children to follow Him. So God still finds us a challenge but I think he takes a lot of time outs.

I want to end with this thought: I am a mother. I am a human. I have failings. But everyday I try very hard to start the day a new. Work at one point made me loose my focus. I work to keep my focus on what is important... my children. I refuse to apologize for being mother focused. I am a mother. Accept me for who I am. I am not just a woman. I am a mother.