Badges of motherhood

I wanted to wish my Mother, my Grandmothers and my Great Grandmother a Happy Mother's Day!

I tried to send each of you an e-card, but my computer kept locking up on the site, so instead you get this - thoughts on motherhood I wrote about three years ago. Today, it was mashed bananas from Johann. I also got to play tic-tac-chec with Glady (a chess training game) and Family Fluxx with all three girls. I feel mothery today.

Phil was told today that it could be another week before they let him come home. I don't know if i can go on that long without him. And when he does get home we have to change things - but I don't know what.


"There are many signs of motherhood. Today I wore, for a while, a badge on my shoulder and reflected about other badges like it that I have worn and will wear through my life. My youngest banged her head, and as I held her in my arms and murmured to her, she buried her face in my shoulder and sobbed. A few minutes later, after I had put her down and she was playing happily, I realized she had left a patch of tears and snot on my shoulder. One more in a succession of such spots. They started with the spit-up from my babies, and will progress to lower marks of banged knees and elbows, from cuddles at an age where they are usually past such comforts. Hopefully, when my daughters are teens I will be mother enough to shoulder their tears over every little heartbreak. And when our lives have come full circle it will be spit-up again, from their babies. All my life I will be proud of my badges of motherhood, but I prefer to wear them invisibly. Pardon me while I change my shirt. "