Complete

Odd picture to share, but this is my grandmother's hand. One of the most loving hands I've ever held; hands that have also held and comforted me...comforted me with love and scrumptious food, like this homemade corn tortilla :).

My mommy and me

"A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path."

Agatha Christie

A few years ago, I had to drop off a few gifts at the post office so they would arrive in time for Father's Day. To my surprise, it was fairly empty. The month before for Mother's Day, it was packed. The postal worker who took my packages said that it's usually pretty slow around Father's Day, and we both agreed how sad that was. She said it was because so many fathers just haven't stepped up to the plate. I understand that, but thankfully that isn't the case in my family anymore. Mother's Day is a completely different story. And I admit, I even have more women to think about around Mother's Day than I have gifts to buy for father figures around Father's Day.

My grandma and me

I've been blessed to be loved by many amazing mothers, aunts, loving friends, etc. So many women who are mothers at heart, and who love beyond biological bonds. But it's true, now that I'm a mom I have so much more respect for these women. Wow. Being a mom REALLY is hard work.

My godmother and me

I love that Mirabel's birthday falls around the same time as Mother's Day, she truly is the best Mother's Day gift. Oh, she can be a handful, like today when she screamed and screamed because she's been sleeping poorly/skipping naps/staying up late like a college kid. But those squishy legs that I love to squeeze, and the belly with the little folds! I love them all. I can't imagine loving anyone more; I feel whole, and my heart has truly grown. All the cheesy cliches apply.

I would describe this past year as the most joyful one of my life. I feel richer, though we do have less funds because diapers will do that ;); I feel at peace, though I have not slept through the night once since her birth; I feel whole, though a bit scatter-brained from the not sleeping thing ;). I don't want to be anywhere else. I remember the feeling of wanting to be a mother. If this was it for me, even if I never became a chef, or some kind of artist, or some kind of creative professional (oh, the many crazy things I want to be when I grow up ;)...I am satisfied with who I am today. Not because of anything I've done, but because of who and what I have in my life. I have love in abundance and I'm no longer hungry or longing for anything.

This Mother's Day I'm most thankful for my family, near and far, because I wouldn't know what it means to be a mother without them.