Mama's Love

It was one of those days. The kind where you just begin to feel overwhelmed, over stimulated, and over being a parent. Luke had woken himself up (read Mom and Dad) several times throughout the night. I returned from the gym and began working on a garden project when he began to fuss and wail. SIGH....yet another project put on the back burner. Before you think, "What a horrible mother!" let me set the stage. My house is a disaster. You caught a glimpse of Maddie's room in the previous post. I have yet to scratch the surface of that monstrosity. I have laundry in three stages: needs to be washed, needs to be folded, and needs to be put away. The "needs-to-be-put-away" pile is currently gracing my dining room table. I have plants in their original pots that are waiting to be planted in my backyard before they die. My house needs to be vacuumed from Sunday's get together. In the kitchen, the dishes need to be washed, the floor has enough dog hair on it to actually breed another dog, and the dishwasher is patiently waiting to be unloaded. And my dogs are in dire need of a walk. All I want is to check ONE F-ING THING OFF OF MY TO DO LIST!!! Argh!

I bitterly load Lucas into the Baby Bjorn to calm him down and decide to take Tilly for a walk. Hopefully my tired, fussy boy will take a nap while I walk. As we start off I am still so irritated at having to leave yet another project half completed.

We begin to walk our normal route. And as I stroll onto the trail and cross the creek that leads to downtown I hear a rustle in the water, something begins to move under the cement bridge! Then I see rapid motion in the water. I can't believe it! A gaggle of ducklings. They are ushered and chastised by their mother, "QUACK, QUACK, QUACK!! Can't you see there is a human and big white beast headed in our direction?! HIDE! HIDE! QUACK, QUACK, QUACK!" As we get closer one more duckling darts out, followed by several more. Finally out comes the other mama. She is vehemently quacking at them now and scurrying them along with her wing. It was an amazing scene to watch unfold. A lot of you may think, "Uh, big deal, they were just ducks, dude!" But catching a glimpse of the maternal instinct in wild animals is what struck me. Watching a mother care for her young, wrapping her body around them and urging them along. This inherent need to care and ensure the safety of your child. It is alive in ALL mothers, not just humans. Watching this made me think, "Surely I can deal with, if not embrace taking my child on walk to ensure his peace of mind. The chores will be there when I get home, and there is always tomorrow."

This is what we do as mothers. The sacrifices we must not only make, but embrace. If we do not embrace them, surely they will eat us alive. We all have things that we want/need to get accomplished throughout the course of the day. And when they are not checked off of our to-do list and begin to pile up, we feel the frustration and strain of motherhood. Being pulled in two directions. Providing love and support to your children, yet maintaining a home and family. But in the end the children always win. And that is the way it should be. Because there will be a time when they no longer need me as much. Although it feels like it will be eons from now, this time will pass me by a lot quicker than I realize. Those ducks reminded of the importance of a mama's love.

By the way, when I finished my walk I came home to a clean kitchen. Todd unloaded the dishwasher, cleaned the counters, and washed the dishes. That, my friends, is a hubby's love! Awww...