This is my mom. The person she’s holding is me. She raised NINE such persons. I don’t know how she did it.
She means everything to me.
When I was a wee one she was the center of my universe. She could do no wrong. She was IT! The beginning and the end. (Actually, she still is all of this to me, and more!)
And now, I am the center of the universe for two little girls of my own. I have kept another human being alive for the last seven months on food that my very body produced. Crazy!
Last night I was up three times. The highlight was at 3:30 AM when I was helping my seven month old with her constipation issues. Enough said.
If you’re a mom of little kids you know what I am talking about.
We are needed. Depended upon. When we’re around the world is bliss. When we are not around tears happen. Lots of tears.
I have thought a lot about what it means to be needed in this way. It is one of the things I most cherish about motherhood and one of the things that makes me want to get into my car and drive away… far, far away.
I love having so much purpose in my life, what I am doing really matters – loving these girls, teaching them, helping them make sense of the world, protecting them, celebrating life with them. It is beautiful – but it is also, as my friend Liesa put it, “freakishly hard”.
Little kids take, they take a lot, and they take it out of you. And as tiring as that can be it is also wonderful. I have thought about how, as an adult I have built up all kinds of protective walls that sometimes make it hard for me to receive love from others. Children have no such walls. I wonder if this is part of what the Lord meant when he said that the kingdom of heaven was the heart of a child?
They are not afraid to recognize their dependence on us, they have no qualms about asking for what they need, they have no problem receiving our love. The miracle of all their taking is how they give us SO MUCH back.
It is pretty dang cool, being a mom. I am sure grateful that I get to do this every day (even though I am so tired I think I am going to die).
I have put a this little slide show together in our honor – for moms everywhere, for you, for me… for all of us! And I had an absolute blast basking in the collective beauty of your lives. You and your kids make this look good.
May 10th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Breathtaking! Who wouldn’t want to be a mother when they see that!
Happy mother’s day forever after.
May 10th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Way to be the one to make me cry on Mother’s Day!
This was so lovely. So beautiful. THANK YOU.
And Happy Mother’s Day and Birthday to you! You are one amazing mom and friend. Love you!
May 10th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
LIZA!
Love the slideshow. How fun! What a wonderful tribute to moms.
And… you should know that I am TOTALLY going to be your blog stalker. 🙂 Love seeing those adorable pics of your girls and you. We’re in Boston right now and miss seeing you here…
Hope you are doing well!
Marci
May 10th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
This was beautiful. I am glad we were part of it. You and your girls are gorgeous.
May 10th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Emily told me to come see the video. It was great. I was quite impressed. I can’t help but think the Jan had a hand in the leg work. Perhaps he only served as a technical adviser. I am going to make a slideshow soon. I would love to know how you did the text overlays. It was really nice looking. The kids were all beautiful. Happy Mother’s Day.
May 11th, 2009 at 11:58 am
Liza, this was STUNNING! I am SO happy you have a blog, think in blog, actually blog! You are, as you are at everything you do, fabulous at it. I was reading through it all today, after watching the video that made me cry!, and just thinking, please can we be neighbours?! You make everything beautiful! I can’t wait to keep in touch with you this way! Lots of love xx
May 11th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Liza, I think this was the highlight of my mother’s day- thank you! Made me cry. I’m still crying in fact..I have to give you a call once I get a hold of myself!
May 11th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
I just watched this for the second time. So, so great. I have to say, I’ve always liked that song, but I never REALLY got until I watched your slideshow. “Oh! I get it,” I thought. “Take it. The love. Right.”
Also, I should mention that nine out of the ten times that I think about becoming a mom, I mean REALLY think about it, I’m terrified. But watching your slide show and reading your post made me think, and for a minute believe, that I could do it and that it will be fun. So, thanks, Lize. Thanks for being the big sister and paving the way for me.
May 12th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Oh Liza!! I didn’t comment the first time I watched it on Mother’s Day because I thought I better get myself together first! (Let’s just say it wasn’t my best day!) Anyway, the slideshow was fabulous and a great reminder that “we’ve got the good life”. (Though I have to confess that I interpreted the “take it from me” as taking everything out of me… and then some!) 🙂 Miss you. Can’t believe how big Millie is. I’m excited to hear what you come up with when you “think in blog!”
May 14th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
LIZA!!! I just got back into town and did not have access to my email until today. I LOVE LOVE LOVED your slide show!!!! What a FABULOUS tribute to moms. It made remember how lucky I am to be one. I loved all the pics and that song was awesome. Very impressed with your first blog slideshow, can’t wait to see what you do next!