Today 14 years ago I became a Mom at 34 years old. Lindsey Sheree turned 14 today. We shared her birthday with 2 friends here at the house. The changes in her disposition, patience and willingness to participate, even in the past 6 months are an incredible reassuring development. My child might not be an alien transplant or posessed after all!
It has been said kids mature faster, at a younger age than we did...in the old days and I am inclined to consider this as proof. My daughter is far more level headed, intuitive and is capable of grasping concepts of greater magnitude than I was at her age. She's more focused even if (I don't like admitting this)she doesn't read a lot like I did. I would compare myself to her at 14 to my say, 15 and 1/2.
Being a Mom has made my life an entirely different experience than what I was expecting and planning. Until I found out I was going to be a parent I had no clue of all the joys and treasures life was about to offer. Never would have thought of or suspected my life as 'empty' until discovering how full of excitement it became after my daughter's arrival. There is no comparison, really because the joy of creating a human life, which is truly a miracle to begin with, is an entity in ittself. You know the saying you never know what you are missing until you actually experience it. Then it's hard to imagine life without experiencing Motherhood and Parenthood!
Here's one for the upcoming Mothers Day sent to me today by friend, Carol Brand. Thanks Carol!

Mother's Day

If you send this to just one person, it should make it all
the way around the world by Mother's Day.

This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with
sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar
Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's okay honey,
Mommy's here."

Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing
crying babies who can't be comforted.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with
spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and
diapers in their purse.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and
sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll
never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them
homes.

This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections
are hanging on their refrigerator doors.

And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal
bleachers at football or soccer games instead of watching from
the warmth of their cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did
you see me, Mom?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have
missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the
grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their
feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the
mothers who count to ten instead, but realize how child abuse
happens.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their
children and explained all about making babies. And for all the
(grand)mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words.

This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their
children can eat.

For all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" twice a
night for a year. And then read it again.. "Just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to
tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the
mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook
and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for every mother whose head turns automatically
when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they
know their own offspring are at home -- or even away at
college.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school
with stomach aches assuring them they'd be just FINE once they
got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour
later asking them to please pick them up Right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who
can't find the words to reach them.

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed
when their 14 year olds dye their hair green.

For all the mothers of the victims of recent school
shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting.

For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat
in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just
came home from school, safely.

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to
be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good Mother anyway?

Is it patience?

Compassion?

Broad hips?
The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button
on a shirt, all at the same time?

Or is it in her heart?

Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or
daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for
the very first time?

The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to
crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby?

The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when
you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are
safe again in your home?

Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your
child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child
dying?

The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our
thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes
and sleep deprivation...

And mature mothers learning to let go

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.

Single mothers and married mothers.

Mothers with money, mothers without.

This is for you all. For all of us. Hang in there.

In the end we can only do the best we can.

Tell them every day that we love them.

And pray.

Please pass along to all the Moms in your life.

"Home is what catches you when you fall - and we all
fall."

I spent the morning working a schedule for the New Wrangler's ongoing upgrade planning maintenance we had troubles doing, and exciting other things. She's gonna be one kickass BadGurl, this new Jeep when we get finished with her! No more timid 3" lifts, no whimpy tires no no no! Making sure all the systems are in good shape starting with new Flowmaster Muffler system, all the fluids electrical, air and all are how they should be. Then we go trick her out! Woohoo!