On mornings like this, I can’t help but be grateful. I have four happy,  healthy, living children.

On days like today, I can overlook the train track snaking down our upstairs hallway, the dirty clothes on the bedroom floor, and the banana peel from breakfast shoved behind the couch cushion. I can put up with the bickering, the noise level, and “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” being sung for the 24th consecutive time.  I can watch Choo Choo Express on repeat without complaint. I can handle washing their clothes, fixing them lunch, the loads of diapers, baths, and all the bedtime stories their little hearts could want. The crying and fussing is like music to my ears. They can wake in the middle of the night, wet the bed, and dump out all of the Legos. They can fight over the ipad, walk in on me in the bathroom, and pester me while I’m on the phone. The coloring all over my address book is a work of art. The toothpaste in the sink is a blessing. I’m cheering for the unmade beds, fits of giggles, and syrupy little hands.

You see, on days like today, I realize that my children are a gift. Their lives are gifts that could all too quickly be taken away. So today I will smile in the midst of the stress. I will put up with a little more and yell a little less. There will be more hugs, more snuggles, more stories, and more love. I will repeatedly thank the Lord for these blessings He’s given me, and praise Him that they are safe in my arms.

Let go of the mess, stop fretting about the noise, and pull your babies in close. On days like today EMBRACE the blessing of being a mom, hug your children tight, and let them know how much you love and value them. The little things don’t matter, and there will come a day for all of us when we’d do anything to have the noise, the coloring on the dining room table, and the clasp of sticky little hands. Cherish this hectic journey called motherhood, especially on days like today.

 

Chasing Supermom’s heart and prayers go out to the families of Newtown, CT. Please join me in prayer today for everyone affected by this tragic shooting.