Yesterday was Mother’s Day. Whether you have children or you don’t, it’s a day to celebrate. Everyone has a Mother.
And you never know what your Mother has really been through.
As I reflected on Mother’s Day yesterday and where I started 16 years ago, and where I am today, with a beautiful, bright, capable and odds beating, life-shining daughter, I could feel the tears of gratitude well up. My daughter was born 9 weeks early. While we knew I was High Risk for a few reasons, never did we think that we would come to know what NICU stood for – Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. I won’t bore you with our drama, but suffice to say, an ambulance ride to two different hospitals and the words of several Drs standing over my bed telling me all the things that “might be awaiting having a baby born this early”, left us shocked and scared.
Thankfully, our daughter was born with strong lungs and after a month in her little incubator, with a tape recorder playing Mozart and a huge stuffed giraffe (our metaphor for love — the giraffe has the largest heart of any land animal) watching over her, she was sent home healthy and thriving. Early again…and we were off and running. I didn’t want baby clothes, books, toys or stuffed animals. All I wanted, as I tried to navigate the crazy days was food in my freezer and fridge. Not worrying about getting to the store or making a meal was a huge relief. We needed sustenance, not stuff.
Today, in honor of being “one of those Moms” and with gratitude for the outcome, every other week I deliver bags of necessities to the local NICU or Ronald McDonald House. Through my friend Jill, I found a special organization called There With Care. TWC “provides fundamental support services to families and children facing critical illness during medical crisis.” Please, take a moment and visit the website. http://therewithcare.org – The story of how they started, and where they are today, is inspirational.
Maybe in honor of someone you know, like a mom who navigated a difficult time, a child born with challenges, or even your own mom who made your lunch every day and crafted a hot meal every night, you might be willing to make a donation? The site tells you what is needed most.
What it doesn’t tell you is the feeling you’ll get when you know it’s time for you to make dinner, and you can, grateful that you are doing it yourself, but knowing if you couldn’t, someone would be There With Care.
How do you MindFULLY honor your Mom? Let us know!
themindfullcreative.com 