When we decided to begin featuring other bloggers here at the Fence, we knew just who would be at the top of our list. Jennifer, of The Mother Hen, uses her blog to not only keep our sides hurting from laughing so hard, but also to share her heart for God and her love for her family. She is self-deprecating, incredibly hilarious, amazingly insightful and has become a dear friend to both of us.
But, Vanessa just happens to have the added benefit of living in the same city as Jennifer AND going to the same church. Plus they both have 3 year old little girls so it only made since for them to get together for a play-date recently at Vanessa’s house.
Heather was very sad that she didn’t get to join in the fun so we did the next best thing!
Doesn’t she look like she is having so much fun with us?
We have been wanting to take Jennifer out and show her off a bit more and when we read her Mother’s Day post we begged and pleaded invited her to be our guest Blogger for this Simply Sunday. She graciously agreed and we would now like to share with you this letter she wrote to her children.
A Letter from Mama
Dear Samuel & Emily,
Today is Mothers Day and you have made a fuss over me all day. You’re just getting to the ages where you can see, if only for brief moments at a time, that not everything is about you. Finally, if only for brief moments at a time, you’re beginning to figure out that it is all about me.
Now before I go getting all sappy and slushy lets keep it real. You make me crazy. Like I’m on a 2 prescription cocktail of anti-depressants/anxiety pills because of you two knuckleheads. Don’t be fooled by a “chemical imbalance” diagnosis–someday when my liver and kidneys are shot and Dad can’t wipe himself you’ll be getting a little knock-knock-knock on your doors. You fight, you whine, you keep our home in a perpetual state of needing Federal assistance, you eat every 2 hours and when I pulled the couch out yesterday to vacuum I found thousands of half-eaten, abandoned goldfish crackers.
Yes, life with you isn’t all rainbows. With that said, I love my life. You have made my life complete in a way I never knew was possible.
Samuel, you made me a Mommy. I went from being focused on myself to being focused on another human who was completely dependent on me. I gave you life and I sustained you but you saved me. You saved me from a self-centered life and taught me the fullness of giving yourself unconditionally to another. How can I ever thank you or show you the depths of my love and gratitude for you?
Emily, you completed me. You have taught me that I cannot run out of love. It sounds like a cliche but the more I love you the more love I have for Daddy and Samuel. It is funny because I seem to cling to you more than I do Samuel. It seems natural to give Samuel wings as I remind him of boundaries, but you are the baby and I find myself clinging tightly to the “littleness” of you for as long as I can. All of Samuel’s “firsts” were met with excitement and anticipation (and yours are too) but your “firsts” have a tinge of bitterness to them because I know there are no more to come. So forgive me if sometimes I hold too tightly.
One thing that being your Mommy has shown me is how much God loves me. I grew up knowing he was a heavenly “father” but after becoming I mother I understand God’s “Daddy” love for me so much more…and yet I know that is just but a glimpse of His great love for me.
I remember one night we were training one of you to sleep through the night so I wasn’t going in and breastfeeding you but Daddy or I would just walk in and pat your back and then leave. You were both fast learners and after 2 nights or so you both decided it was easier to sleep through the night and have a big breakfast. On one of these nights I remember laying in bed listening to your sad little cries, my heart breaking because I wanted to go to you, hold you, comfort you and give you warm, soothing milk. I knew though that the best thing for you was rest and to learn to sleep through the night. I’m the parent, I saw the bigger picture and I knew sadness and confusion for a couple of nights was worth your well-being in the long run.
Samuel and Emily, this is how God is with us. He sees the bigger picture and when we’re neck deep in pain, confusion and suffering He sometimes lets us “cry it out” because He knows there is something better for us on the other side. I will come to your rescue most of the time; when I don’t though, don’t think it isn’t because I don’t want to–sometimes I just know better. God won’t always come to your rescue. He hears your cries, He sees your pain but sometimes we have to go through the suffering to be better on the other side.
I have all sorts of little lessons like these…little epiphanies that God has shown me as I travel on this journey of being your Mommy. I’d like to write them all down for you but so far I’m a little too busy getting gum out of carpet and making macaroni and cheese. Someday…
Know this: you are my greatest joys.
Love, Mama
Thank you for sharing this with us today Jennifer!
And thank you all so much for joining us on this Simply Sunday at the Fence,
awwwwww….love it. It is a good reminder to all of us that God is listening just maybe not rushing to fix it the way we want.Thanks again for all the help with the baby shower…
Mother Hen recently visited me on FB so I am so happy to see her featured. So sweet!
Beautiful! You girls are a hoot with that picture. Have a great day!
so sweet, love the picture of you sitting at the table 🙂
Beware, if you start ripping out carpet it might just stay that way for a long time…it took us a year before the wood went down tee hee 🙂
XO
Been there, for sure!!! Can’t say that I always loved mothering, but even if you have some tough kids and days that try your soul, when they move away like my oldest just did, it rips your heart out and you long for a few of those days back and wonder why you’ll wonder why you thought it was so difficult!
Beautiful post today…and the new blog look is fabulous!!!
Thanks for the great comments and love. Heather and Vanessa…I love you both. Thanks for getting me out and showing me off.
Much, MUCH, love,
Jen
(aka The Mother Hen)
Simply beautiful.
Yes, Heather looks like she’s having a blast … can’t seem to take the grin off of her face !! And, what a fun and endearing letter … I think we all need to do that more. Thanks for sharing, friend !! xoxo