Hey, I Didn't Kill Them, Okay?

Moms are all different but with a common goal; to raise our children the best way we know how. Most of us would kill for our children, if necessary. I know I would. I knew that the day they were born. I think it's basic instinct for most women, since babies aren't born with an instruction manual on how to nurture them. Yet whenever someone hurts our children, we hurt too. Probably more so. And as much as we want to take away their pain, we cannot, which complicates matters even more. Nor can we fix them when something goes south in their lives.




The only job I've ever wanted is to have children and raise them better than I was raised. I think I accomplished that, even though I still wasn't always the best mother in the world. Sometimes I was weakened from the lack of sleep and would yell or be snappish with the kids. There were times that I missed sporting functions because I simply couldn't stand going to all of them day after day, month after month, year after year. Other times they were late for school because I'd been up all night making class party favors and slept through the alarm. There were times I was late picking them up from school because I was still having fun at a late lunch with friends and had lost track of the time. I could go on, but I won't. I'm fairly confident you get the idea.




Still, the irrefutable fact remains that I kept them safe from harm, well fed, well dressed and well educated. I took them to Sunday School and church every week, 4 to 5 vacations every year and the lake house every summer. They both had braces on their teeth, huge birthday parties every year and plenty of toys at Christmas (after I stayed up all night playing Santa and putting toys together). I stayed up long nights when they were sick and took them to the doctor when needed. Frankly, they have led charmed lives compared to the way I grew up. I love them both unconditionally and they are both well aware of this fact. 

So HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to me and all of you other Moms out there who didn't strangle our children during the *Terrible Twos* or the *Torrential Teens*....