It Made me Cry

It's Mother's Day today. 

My family honoured me and loved me and made me feel very special.

Emily made me a tea and biscuit gift at school.

In true Emily form....she ate the biscuits
 when she came home from school on Wednesday. 
Oh Emily...how I love you. 

Alison, our in-house artist, painted me a beautiful picture.

And Hannah wrote me a poem.

It made me cry.

I am respectful and honest.

I wonder if I'll be a mother like you.

I hear your wonderful laughter.

I see you helping the family.

I want it to be easier to take care of me.

I am respectful and honest because of you.

I pretend to be like you.

I feel safe with you.

I touch your soft hand.

I worry when you worry.

I cry when I'm upset.

I am respectful and honest because of you.

I understand when you're upset.

I say you're the best mom ever.

I dream about being like you.

I try to help more often

I hope to be as nice as you.

I am respectful and honest because of you.

I cried because I didn't realize until today how much

my girls really respect me,

and look up to me,

and watch me.

Everything I say...and do....and wear...

(by the way,the girls bought me a new outfit to match a pair

of shoes I bought yesterday.

I had nothing to wear with brown shoes...

so they bought me an entire outfit to match them!!)

And it's probably so dumb that I've never realized this until today.

But you know how sometimes you have these "light bulb" moments.

This was one of those days.

So I've been thinking about it a lot today.

It makes me think of a picture book I read recently.

"The Prince & The Gift" by Janet Surette.

This book tells a story of true beauty. 

A story of a prince looking for his princess;

the one who can offer to him the most beautiful gift.

The tale follows a young maiden and watches as she

shows true beauty thru the virtues of

kindness, courage, generosity,

honour, self-control, and sacrifice.

All the other girls in the village only cared about

having a beautifully decorated gift to give the prince; many of them

wasting their time on wrappings and ribbons.

When it was time to present the Prince with their gifts it was the girl with the

plainest box of all whom caught his eye.

Her true beauty glowed from within.

It's this story that is on my mind today

mingling with the thoughts of Hannah's Mother's day poem.

How am I living before my girls and my King? 

Am I more concerned about my own affairs?

or taking the time to help those in need around me?

Am I yelling at the girls on Sunday morning...

worrying more about their outward appearance and how it will reflect on me?

Or helping them prepare their hearts to hear from the Holy Spirit while in Sunday School class.

Today's poem reminded me today that Hannah wants to be like me when she grows up.

But I want her to be able to see virtues in me like

self-control, generousity, loving-kindness, and courage.

I want her to see a mom whom is prayerful, faith-filled and

dependent on her Heavenly Father.