The Days and Years of a Mother

Many, many years ago when I had just begun serving as a missionary, I was told that the life of a missionary could be described like this: "The days seem like years, and the years seem like days."  I think the life of a mother can be described the same way.  "The days seem like years, and the years seem like days." 

More often than not I crawl into bed each night exhausted from the days events and truly feel like that day of being a Mom felt like a year. But every now and then there are moments when I realize that my little ones are growing up, and the years feel like they were days.  And in those moments I find myself smiling at the sweet innocence of childhood.

I can't remember the exact details of the event anymore, but I was busy doing something and couldn't see or hear Sarah anywhere. That's not a good thing! I immediately got up to go find her.  I found my bedroom door open, which is not a good thing either.  I found her sitting on my bedroom floor with my make-up bag.

When she saw me she knew she was in trouble.  But this was one of those rare times when I was too tired and too upset to show any sign of being angry.  Instead I ran to get my camera. After taking a few pictures, I stood her in front of the bathroom mirror and asked her, "What's on your face?"  She responded, "I'm pretty!"  She was so proud of herself! And if she thought she was pretty, then who was I to tell her or cause her to feel otherwise?

Being the only brother in a house of three sisters is a tough and lonely role.  John often decides that if you can't fight them then you might as well join them.  On this particular day John had found one of his sisters' hair clips and was trying to get it in his own hair.  Which is no small feet considering the length of his hair and that he wasn't using a mirror.  With a little help from the females in the house he soon had a head full of flowers and bows. Despite the look on his face in the picture, he loved every minute of being "one of the girls" for a few minutes.

I think I need a prominent place in my home where I can display and easily be reminded, on those long exhausting days of motherhood, of the moments that taught me to smile and cherish my children.