Happy Mother's Day...
...to the mom who cuts off the crust and knows yogurt can only be eaten with a specific spoon.
...to the mom who spends 10 minutes getting her child's socks just right, so he can finally put on his shoes and head out the door to school.
...to the mom who goes to mommy and me ballet and calls it her exercise class.
...to the mom who runs half marathons to show her kids that she really is a superhero.
...to the mom whose heart aches from missing her own mother so much that flowers don't smell as lovely anymore.
...to the mom who not only has her own kids to raise, but 30-some others who look to her for guidance and love throughout the school day.
...to the mom whose preschooler filled in the blank with 98 when the teacher asked how old her mommy was.
...to the mom who heard "no!" twenty times today -- before breakfast.
...to the mom who kisses ouchies and back scratches nightmares away.
...to the mom who can laugh with her little ones, and at herself.
...to the mom who wants to be even more of a mother, but is deep in the struggle to make her family one more person happy.
...to the mom who is watching her children go off on their own... one by one.
...to the mom who doesn't fear high heels and designer threads.
...to the mom who can't hold a tune, but sings her heart out anyway.
...to the mom who does it all on her own.
...to the mom who uses words like "ANC count" and "port" as often as "tickle" and "chase."
...to the mom who makes it all look so amazingly effortless.
...to the mom who watches her own daughter growing into the mother she always dreamed she'd be.
...to the mom who went to school to watch her little boy sing, and rushed out with a trembling son and the contents of his stomach all over her.
...to the mom who generously gives of her time, talents, and energy when the school, church, or charity call upon her.
...to the mom who lets her most precious belonging climb fearlessly to the top of the tree, and ride faster than the speed of light.
...to the mom who's about to embark on a journey of sleepless nights, precious firsts, and true love -- all over again.
...to the mom who's not only the boardroom boss, but the weekend warrior.
...to the mom who makes sure the baseball/soccer/basketball/etc uniform is clean and ready to go for yet another game.
...to the mom who not only prepares things like kale and spinach, but convinces her kids that they taste good.
...to the mom who walked into an important meeting with a sticker on her butt.
...to the mom who listens to her little one saying his tummy hurts, and knows it's a matter of the heart, not gut.
...to the mom who sees another mom struggling, and takes the time to tell her that she's not alone.
...to the mom who hasn't just given her heart, but her breasts and ovaries, in the hopes of being called "Mom" a whole lot longer.
...to the mom who didn't miss a single practice, appointment, signature or meal this week.
...to the mom who did miss a practice, appointment, signature and meal this week. But not for lack of trying.
...to the mom who's committed to helping her child become so much more than a label he's been given.
...to the mom who says no and means it.
...to the mom who says yes and means it.
...to the mom who says yes or no and really wants to mean it.
...to the mom who doesn't cry, yell, or get flustered over spilled milk.
...to the mom who does cry, yell, and get flustered, but cleans it up anyway.
...to the mom who opens her kids' eyes and hearts to every corner of the world.
...to the mom who teaches her kids that the little world they live in is more than enough.
...to the mom who isn't a mom yet, but is doing everything in her power to become one.
...to the mom who made it through the grocery shopping without forgetting anything on the list.
...to the mom who went to the grocery store six times this week.
...to the mom who has a new understanding for her own mother since having kids of her own.
...to the mom who is more generous with compliments than reprimands.
...to the mom who's kind to herself, even when motherhood isn't.
...to you. Because there's not one other mother in the world who's just like you.
This Mother's Day, may you see yourself as the wondrous woman your children (and others who love you) know you to be. You honestly and truly deserve it.
A version of this post originally appeared on Using Our Words.
Amy Heinz is a San Francisco Bay Area mom of three and the writer behind Using Our Words -- a parenting blog filled with lessons she's learned (usually the hard way), laughs she's enjoyed (mostly at her own expense), and tears she's shed (this mama's got heart). You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.