Happy Mother's Day

To my grown-up daughters;

This Mother's Day, I wanted to dedicate this post to you because you're the reason I get to celebrate this weekend. 

To my Mandy;

You made me a Mommy!  Oh what fun we had as we both began this mommy-daughter adventure!  You were my little-bitty-buddy. We did everything together. You gave me the gift of seeing the world through a child's eyes again. Oh, how I loved getting to be your mommy!

Much too quickly, you changed from my baby into a lovely young woman. Oh how I loved being your mom - every step of the way! What great friends we've become!  How I love the relationship we're developing. I love our theater/movie-dates. I love that we can  and do talk about everything. I am grateful that you trust me enough to talk to me about so many things. I'm blessed to count you among my dearest friends!!!

To my Jackie;

You were my unexpected blessing!  When we started the adoption process the second time, we thought you'd be a baby...and a boy!!  What a delightful surprise we had when we realized that we were going to add you to our little family!  How amazing that you fit into your spot in our family so seamlessly!  Right from the start, you wound your way around the hearts of every family member. I'll never forget watching Bonpa see you for the first time. I swear I heard his big ol' heart fall 'SPLAT!!!', right at your feet!!!

As it was with your sister, you grew up way too fast!  But what fun we had, you and I!  How many driving-adventures have we had? Silly times, funny times - times when we scared each other-silly! How grateful I am for your fun and funny personality. I have loved the times I got to be around you and your friends. Y'all never failed to make me laugh. How grateful I am for your creative-artist's-soul. You taught me to see the world through different eyes. You see the world through an artist's eyes and have taught me to look at things on a deeper level. Thank you for that. I love our relationship. I am grateful to be your mom and your friend. You...my unexpected blessing.

To both of you;

One of my favorite songs describes how I feel about being the mom to two such wonderful daughters...

"In my daughters' eyes, everyone is equal. Darkness turns to light and my world is at peace. These miracles God gave to me, give me strength when I am weak. I find reason to believe, in my daughters' eyes.

In my daughters' eyes, I can see the future. A reflection of who I am and what will be. And though they'll grow and someday leave, maybe raise families, when I'm gone I hope you'll see how happy they made me; for I'll be there...in my daughters' eyes." (paraphrased from Martina McBride's song)

Getting to be your mom has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. So on this Mother's Day, I thank you for giving me the gift of motherhood. I love you both with all my heart - I always will.

Happy Mother's Day!