The day that is so full of emotion for many.

This is my first Mother’s Day having my own babies here with me to love on. Every time that I stop and think about my children, I am SO overwhelmed with joy, and in awe that God has entrusted me to love and care for them! I truly believe that God has given me the perfect children for me. They are not perfect, but on a daily basis my children teach me and I am stretched as I mother them; such wonderful blessings they are!

Today has been different than my previous experiences with Mother’s Day. I have experienced this day in the past, and at times it has brought immense amounts of pain, and at others unspeakable amounts of joy. I have gone through Mother’s Day when things were awesome with my own mom, and also when our relationship was less than perfect; times when I was excited and eagerly anticipating motherhood, and also in the shadows of losing my first baby; this day has brought tears, both happy as well as sad.

My heart beats out of my chest when I consider my children, but that doesn’t erase my past and present struggles. I am full of joy today, yet I feel and remember the pain that I have experienced and continue to experience, as well as the pain that is felt by both men and women all around our broken world. I know that sometimes just being acknowledged can be so encouraging. Knowing that someone out there SEES you and is STANDING WITH you makes those hard times feel a little brighter and a little less lonely.

Here is a list of people that I thought of and prayed for today:

Moms of every kind!

Women who are biological moms, and have birthed their children, vaginal or c-section, there is no superior

Women who are adoptive moms

Women who are waiting for an adoptive placement

Women who are foster moms

Women who are waiting for a foster placement

Women who are birth moms, and have either had to or chosen to give their children up for adoption

Women who are step moms, and so gracefully step into the roll of mom

Women who have children with special needs, and work extra hard around the clock advocating for their child(ren) every single day

Women who are dreaming of being moms

Women who are still waiting to meet the right man

Women who are dealing with infertility

Women who have experienced failed fertility treatments

Women who have lost a baby, or multiple babies

Women who have lost a child

Women who are waiting for a positive pregnancy test

Women who just got a positive test

Women who are patiently waiting

Women who are not so patiently waiting

Women who want a child, but have a husband that doesn’t

Women who suffer in silence desperately wanting a child

Women who have had an abortion

Those who have a wonderful mom

Those who have lost their mom

Those who have a broken relationship with their mom

Those who are separated by hundreds or thousands of miles from their mom

Those who have never met their mom

Grandmas

Great grandmas

Aunts

Mentors

The list could go on and on! I am sure I forgot some, but wherever you are, I am standing with you! I fall under a mixture of categories on this list. I hope that each one of you know that you are LOVED and WORTHY! I feel your pain, and while not being able to relate with each of you exactly, I am aware that you are there, and I am thinking of you and praying for you! Praying that you would know that you are valuable and so so loved!

There are so many women in my life that have stepped up and mothered me and supported me in one way or another, I am so blessed. To each of those women, I say thank you! You have given me a gift that I will do my best to pass on to my children, the gift of unconditional love.

Mother’s Day can be a rough day. As I sit and reflect on my own life, I can appreciate both the joy and pain that this day has brought. To all who are feeling both high and low today, or somewhere in between, it is my hope that you can SEE each other and acknowledge where the other is at. Go forward in grace and love, my friends!

 

xoxxox

Leeanne

 

Thank you to my wonderful husband for being so thoughtful today, and supporting me everyday as I figure out this motherhood thing! I love you forever!

Here’s a glimpse into our day!