still needs her mom

It’s Mother’s Day week.

All week long, Austin Moms Blog is putting out Mother’s Day-related posts.

I myself was set to write one titled, “I’m a Mom, But I Still Need My Mom.”

But then, I found out a week ago that my mom has ovarian cancer.

And suddenly, writing a post like that seemed sad. Foreboding. Difficult.

So I decided not to write it.

My family is already emotional. I am emotional.  Why add more emotion into an already emotionally-fraught week?

But I woke up this morning, and I thought…

Girl, you write that post. Nothing about it needs to be sad, foreboding, or difficult.

The truth of the matter is, I am a mom, and I DO still need my mom. Nothing has changed.  

See, forever, my mom has attended to my needs.  

Not just when I was a kid, but even as an adult. She is all hands on deck for me and my Little Men, all the time.  

And I have full confidence and every reason to believe that she will continue to be that way (your hear that, Mom?).  Absolutely every reason to believe that she has many years ahead of her still of babysitting, and picking things up for me at Target when she is there, and dropping by with lunch from Chick-fil-A, and helping to corral my beasts when we are out running errands together. I mean, assuming she WANTS to do those things, that is (why would anyone WANT to do those things? But she does.)

I appreciate all those things. They are helpful, and a blessing, but…I don’t NEED her to do them. I’m a grown woman, and I can do those things for myself.  

What I would like to remind my own mom of, and I bet many of you will agree, is this:

We don’t love and appreciate and need our moms because of the things they DO for us.

We actually just consider you, and your presence, and your company, and your conversation, and your friendship to be a blessing. THAT is what we need.

So to my own mom, who TEMPORARILY may not be able to “do things for me,” and to all the other mothers out there who, for various reasons, aren’t able to be as hands on as they may like…that’s OK.

Just talk to us on the phone. Hang out with us. Let us spend time with you. Encourage us by your example. Teach us what you have learned. Let us just have YOU. 

Oh and sometimes, even though “We are Moms Who Still Need Our Moms”…sometimes they need us too.  And that is OK. We are happy to do that. It’s an honor, actually, and it’s about time we returned the favor.  

 

Hayley Hengst
Hello AM readers! I'm Hayley. Stay-at-home mom to three boys/angels/tyrants (primarily tyrants). Most days, I am very content in that role. Other days, well, you know how it goes. I absolutely love writing for Austin Moms Blog. I also love: books, bubble baths, Mexican food, porch swings, and traveling. I hate: the hustle and bustle of trying to get out the door, on time, with all three of my kids. Seriously, I just kind of give up. You can read more about my crazy crew at www.motherfreaking.com!

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