It's Mother's Day. A day that has now spread to a massive card selling, brunch buying, flower sending, picture drawing holiday to thank and appreciate our moms. And our mothers deserve it! Our moms have been there for us through thick and thin and should be thanked and appreciated every day of the year, not just on Mother's Day. A few years ago I wrote this post "Amazing Moms" and I meant ever word of it. Reading it again this year I realized that yes our biological moms, those who gave birth to us, should be recognized and thanked on Mother's Day but so should the millions of other types of moms out there. So this year, I want to thank and appreciate all of the amazing moms on Mother's Day.
Adoptive Mothers. Unlike biological mothers, you went and found your child. You may or may not have been able to have your own children, but you knew you wanted to be a mother and you knew there was a child out there that needed you. Adoptive mothers, although you did not give birth to your children, you are their Mom. You have put them to sleep each night, kissed their boo-boos, held their hand on their first day of school, hugged them as they cried over their first break-up, and continually told them that they were going to be OK. Maybe you have had to answer difficult questions about their biological parents and you likely have questions that you will never get the answers to. But through it all, you have supported and loved your child. You are amazingly special and should be appreciated and thanked today and everyday!
Foster Mothers. You are clearly something incredibly special. You take in children when they are the most vulnerable, the most alone, and in the most need. You open your house to a child you have never met and welcome them, care for them, and love them, all the time knowing that it may be just temporary. Many of your foster children have a mother that they know, miss, and want to be with on Mother's Day. Many of the children that you have given so much for may not consider you their mother of give you any thanks on this day. But foster mothers, you are a loving, giving, and generous parent to these children and you deserve a very Happy Mother's Day too!
Grandmother Mothers. Ladies, you are literally mother's times 2. You raised your own kids and are now raising your children's kids. You were loving, dedicated, supporting, and giving for your kids and are now you are doing it all over again for their children. I have a bad feeling you aren't getting the Mother's day thank you from your new kids and may not be getting it from your first round either. You grandmother mothers deserve a double-sized Happy Mother's Day!
Stepmothers. Society says you are not the real mother, you are a "stepmother." Fairy tales go so far as to label you as "wicked." Yet each morning you wake up, you get your kids dressed, you hold them when they cry and tell you that they miss their mom, you wake up in the middle of the night when they have nightmares, you wipe up vomit, blood, and tears. You deal with comparisons and complaints that you aren't their "real mom", you wait patiently to be hugged third or fourth, or not at all, after a piano recital, and you smile and respond positively whenever they tell you about how great life was when their parents were still together. Stepmoms, you are mom's too, despite how Disney has portrayed you, and you deserve a big Mother's Day hug and thanks too!
Special Mothers. There are millions of types of mothers out there that may not be "official mothers" but should still be appreciated on Mother's Day. For example, there are mothers who have raised their brother's children, mothers who have carried and delivered another woman's baby, and mothers who have donated eggs to help other families have children. There are women who have always been there for children whose biological mother's weren't around; maybe you didn't live with and solely raise the child but you gave that child love, strength, and support every time they came by. You too are a mother.
Mothers, you are all amazing. No matter how you became a mother and regardless of whether you are your child's biological mother of her 20th mother, thank you for being an amazing Mom! Happy All Mothers' Day!