A Mother’s Love…

Hello Friends! I just couldn’t let Mother’s Day weekend slip by without writing a post about moms. Specifically, my Mama and the Mother I strive to be to Madeline. This is from the heart and truly brings many special feelings I have towards my Mama, and as I said, the Mama I always strive to be to my daughter.

“A Mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take.”

To My Mother

The quote above hits home for me. No one has every been able to take the place of my Mama, and she has always had a way of stepping in and filling the void of others. She has always been my best friend. We’ve had an inseparable bond for as long as I can remember. We’ve always enjoyed the same things and we know how to have a good time together. My Mama, as I’m sure many of you feel the same, has always been my biggest supporter. When I was younger and in my dancing days, she was always there encouraging me and pushing me to keep it up simply because I loved it. It always meant a lot to me then, but I never thought how she would continue to do that in ways years down the road. She has pushed me to pursue everything I have ever put my mind to, including this blog. She has always offered her help (and I’m talking countless hours of help) throughout the years and never complains,especially as she takes all the pictures for this blog. As the years have gone by, her support in everything I have pursued has always been there. I could go on and on about this, but I have to mention the time when I truly experienced how genuine her love and support for me was. The hardest thing I have ever had to do was tell my mother that I was pregnant. I’m not going to lie, I felt sick to my stomach and if I have ever had a moment where I wanted to simply disappear, that was it. I so vividly remember tears streaming down my face and those words coming out of my mouth. I honestly thought that after telling her, I would loose the relationship I had always had with her. Well, that was the beginning of seeing the relationship I have always had with my Mother on a whole new level as I truly experienced just how genuine her love for me was and still is. Our bond has grown so much stronger and we have grown even more inseparable. It has also turned into a bond that is no longer just me and my Mama but Madeline as well 😊 On the days where I’ve felt like I simply could’t handle everything, she would remind me to take a deep breath and everything would work out. The times where I felt that I wasn’t worthy enough, she would remind me that I was. It is my Mother who has encouraged me to keep going when I didn’t think I could. She has always had a way of building up my self esteem in times where I felt I didn’t have any. It is through my Mother that I see the love of Christ shine more than any other. For that I am so thankful, as there have been so many times where she not only supports me and encourages me, but she also has a way of pointing me closer to the Lord. It is through my Mother that I strive to be all I can to Madeline with the examples she has set for me. 

Being A Mama

Motherhood is a beautiful thing. I have to say that it is the most amazing gift. I also must say that no, it is not easy. Being a single mom has definitely has it’s ups and downs. Trying to “balance” everything can be quite frustrating at times, and it has been one of my biggest struggles. There are so many deadlines to meet, and so many times where I’ve compared myself to the success of others, and it has had a way of just getting me down. I sit there and feel so uncertain about so many things as the future feels like a blur. But it has been in those moments where the Lord has reminded me of the season I am in. Remembering the season I am in and resting in the fact that this is where the Lord has me has kept me going so many times on my journey through motherhood. I know for certain that the Lord has assigned me to be a mother. He has blessed me with Madeline, and I know I am to care for this precious life created in His image. And that has given me a sense of rest and comfort unlike any other as I know who holds mine and Madeline’s future. 

I have so many cute pictures of me and Madeline that have been snapped for past blog posts that I could have shared for this post. But there’s a reason I chose the one above. I took this a few weeks ago because I wanted to remember this moment and because Madeline was sleeping so peacefully. I had been trying to get Madeline to nap (she has never been a good sleeper) because I had so much I needed to get done. I was frustrated to say the least. I had several school assignments that needed to be completed. I had emails to go through. A blog post to finish. Laundry that needed to be done. And yes, I was really wanting a shower. But as I cuddled her on my chest, I just could’t make myself lay her down. All I could think about was “Rachel, this is such a sweet time.” All I could think about was that my precious baby isn’t going to be a baby forever, and one day I am going to long for these days back. I remember saying a prayer and telling the Lord that I give Him everything that was stressing me and everything I needed to accomplish and also thanking him for making me Madeline’s Mama. And then, I felt a sense of rest as I rocked my baby and rejoiced in the season I am currently in. 

I say all of this to bring encouragement to all the Mamas out there! Yes, there may be times that seem difficult, but honestly, these are the sweetest and most precious times that make life worth living. Hearing Madeline say “Mama” (she just started a little over a week ago) has been the sweetest thing that I simply can’t resist as it never fails to put a smile on my face. Being a Mama has softened my heart beyond belief. It has taught me to appreciate the little things. It has brought me more joy than I ever imagined I could experience. It has instilled in me an unconditional love for someone that I never knew I could have! I truly believe that a Mother’s love is the best example of the love Christ has for us, and what a beautiful thing that is to experience. 

To all the Mamas out there, what a beautiful gift motherhood is. How special it is that the Lord has entrusted us with such an amazing journey. Happy Mother’s Day to each and every Mother!

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

~Psalm 139:13~

P.S. This is the sweetest commercial! It brings tears to my eyes every single time. So sweet!

Delightfully Yours,