Happy Mother’s Day May 9, 2010

Just wanted to wish a wonderful Mother’s Day to all the mamas in the world… to my own mother, of course, the most beautiful mama in the universe. 🙂 She’s done everything for us since I can remember (and way before that). She’s doted on us, loved on us, fought for us, taken care of us. You name it. She still does. She is my role model and shining star. Te quiero mucho, mamita linda.

To my Tias… my aunts… who I love very much… for their support and love… for their “carino” and their concern… for their humor… they’re like extra moms… Las quiero mucho.

To my Abuelitas… The one who recently went up to our dear Lord in Heaven and the one who is still here with us on Earth. My beautiful grandmas that I adore. Thank you for blessing me with your presence and knowledge and wisdom.

To my Mother-in-law… for raising my husband and his brothers… for taking me into her family… for being a kind, loving woman who always put motherhood before all else.

To my Baha’i moms… I have two… Two wonderful women that I am very blessed to have in my life… and I am unfortunately very bad at calling… one who I have known since I became a Baha’i and one who I met when I moved to Texas… both like family to me… both whom I love so much… especially for their support during my darkest moments… I love you both and think of you often. Thank you for your prayers and kind words.

To my mama friends… in NJ and TX who I always admire… for I know the work you do and the love you do it with. For understanding my trials and tribulations with my kids as I understand yours… for being like family to my boys and allowing us into yours…

To my endometriosis sister mamas… who so truly know how blessed we are to be mamas…

To all the mamas in the world… for making the world go round and round…

Thank you… Thank you…

Below is the painting my 6 year old son made of me… he named it his Beautiful Smiling Mommy. Sigh… I love being a mommy. ❤

Beautiful Smiling Mommy

Good News: There’s Always Plenty April 22, 2010

I was trying to find articles with GOOD NEWS to share. Man, that is hard sometimes. The media loves to focus on negativity. It’s a real downer.  Yes, there are tragedies that stand out. Tragedies that break your heart, rip it to pieces, anger you to shreds… but there is so much more love and happiness out there that for some reason we as humans just don’t seem to focus on.

So I decided “You know what, dude?” I can think of plenty of good news, all on my own, to share with the world.”

All over the world today, there were tons and tons of healthy, beautiful bouncing babies born. New little souls to give more life to this wonderful planet. Parents and families were joyous and celebratory at this momentous addition to the clan.

All over the world, sick or terminal patients lived another day. They were given one more day with their loved ones, one more day to right their wrongs, tie up their loose ends, spend time with those they choose to, and enjoy each moment that they have. They are using each breath wisely and judiciously, appreciating it for the valuable treasure it truly is.

All over the globe, children laughed and played. That sound, that glorious sound of a child laughter, like the peal of bell, beautiful joyous contagious music, the most sincere of laughs and the most happy of giggles. The universal sound of happiness and freedom that requires not a common language  to be understood.

All over the earth, people hugged one another. Whether it was in triumph, in greeting, in love, in sympathy, in friendship, whatever the motivator, there were hugs. Gentle ones, tender ones, tiny ones, big bear ones… HUGS. Glorious, affectionate, loving hugs.

Everywhere, someone avoided a car accident. Better yet, someone survived some kind of accident. Or a fire. Or a tragedy.

Everywhere, people made up. A fight ended. A friendship rekindled. A relationship reunited. Peace was made.

Everywhere, someone’s life was saved. By EMS workers. By a stranger. By a doctor. By a mother or father. By a teacher. By a waiter or waitress. By an enemy. By the person least expected.

All over the planet today, someone smiled and it made someone smile back. It spread like wildfire. From him to her to her to him. Some because they enjoyed it, some because they were confused, some because they just felt like it. But a smile is a smile and it’s contagious nonetheless. So smiles were bountiful all over the world.

What other wonderful news can you share?

Realization April 5, 2010

I think I was a fairly typical kid.  I adored my parents, I knew they adored me. As a teenager, I had my obnoxious times in life. I was always (and still might be a little) known to be forward and opinionated… but generally I was very well-behaved.  Just outspoken.  I always loved my parents, though. I knew they loved us.

When I was pregnant with my first son, I was so excited, like most pregnant moms. I couldn’t wait to get the little bugger out and hold him tight.  I was ecstatic to be a mama and couldn’t wait to carry the baby around in my arms all day. I would rub my belly and hug it all the time. I was in love… or so I thought.

And then, he was born. OH MY GOODNESS. I had never understood the term “head over heels in love” until that first cry.  Nothing could have prepared me for that feeling of intense, utter, absolute, complete and total LOVE LOVE LOVE that I felt for that tiny little being. For how my heart pitter-pattered like a wild bat in my chest at his teeny tiny finger wrapped around mine.  For how glimpses of his eyes made me catch my breath. For how the nurse wanting to do anything to him made me want to fly out of my bed like a raging mama bear, despite the c-section. I was knocked out of the ballpark by this little soul. This smallest of people who commanded every ounce of my heart with every delicate breath…

And then it hit me like a giant truckload of bricks dumped on my head.

My parents loved us this much. No matter how much obnoxious we were, how disobedient, how rebellious, how non-communicative, how combative, how bratty, how quiet we were… my mother and father loved my brothers and I the way I now adored my son. The way he was EVERYTHING in the universe to me, we were to them. And suddenly, I realized I owed my parents a lot more gratitude than I had ever given them. And in that one fell swoop, I was not only madly in love with my son, but with my parents as well.  Like I always was but never understood to admit to myself.  I’ve always kind of sucked at admitting my feelings.

Now as a grown woman, with my children well past the newborn stage, I still catch my breath at every little thing they do. My heart still skips beats every time they spontaneously hug and kiss me.  And subsequently, mama bear still resides within me and my heart breaks with every tear. I never want to see them sad or angry or hurt. I want to protect them from everything. I want to make everything better. When I see them make mistakes or I think they’re not doing their best, I want to scold them and teach them the right way and spare them the heartache of learning the hard way.

The way my parents wanted to for us.

Realistically, neither I nor my parents could make everything better, nor will we ever be able to. But we are able to be there for our kids. Whether it’s in person for hugs and kisses, for a trip to the mall or the zoo, or just knowing we love each other dearly. Sometimes we have to let our kids grow on their own and let go when they need us to. We can’t make everything right for them. I’m still a pig-headed opinionated strong-willed pain in the neck that talks too much sometimes. It’s true. And for that I apologize to my Mom and Dad. But you have no idea how much I love you and love everything you do for me and my brothers and my family.  I could never ask for better parents than mine. That’s more than true. I have the best parents in the universe and I only hope I can be one tenth as good to my children as they are to me.

Mom and Dad, I love you… thank you for loving me… and for being my biggest support system.  ❤

Many hugs and kisses to you.

May you all remember to call your parents today. 😀