Planning Mother's Day

A mere half a day earlier, I was having fun brainstorming with my husband about what sort of Mother’s Day celebration I wanted next week. After years of yearning to participate in this holiday, it means a lot to me every year to set aside a special day to consider and celebrate the blessing of earthly parenthood. Did I want a special meal? Or a special gift? Or a hotel stay?

What I didn’t expect was to be in the Emergency Room by midnight, caring for a crying, hungry, vomiting toddler while we wait to see if his hydration levels would require hospitalization - less than 48 hours after having had to do the same for his sister. One is the rosy image of motherhood: all cards and hugs and smiles and food. The other is the actual pulse of motherhood: nurturing, laboring, comforting, weeping, and giving of yourself until you feel you have nothing left to give.

One makes a mom feel special through pampering and praises. The other compels a woman to rise above her circumstances and rely on God for strength she can never have on her own.

By God’s grace, after medical intervention, both babies are back home, poised to continue their hydration regimes in a more comfortable setting even though their stomach bugs are not fully recovered. It’s still not over, but we’re thankful to get to care for them where they thrive best. We pray that they will quickly improve and not face further complications.

But there has never been a more stark reminder for me of what motherhood seemed to look like from afar versus what motherhood really entails on the ground. All those years of wishing I could have the sentimental version of motherhood never taught me to appreciate the nitty, gritty, harsh reality version of it. The former makes me feel good about myself. The latter makes me cling onto an omnipotent God.

Experiencing the challenges of motherhood firsthand also makes me appreciate all the more the parents who have been entrusted with children with various types of health issues. Whether these children face disabilities, accidents, congenital defects, recurrent illnesses, or even more serious challenges, their parents step up, and I admire them and praise God for them as I witness their unwavering dedication to their children.

God empowers us to carry the yokes He places upon our shoulders, and I thank Him that we can always hang onto to His promise that He loves and cares for us like as a Shepherd and as our Heavenly Father.