Let’s celebrate MOM’s ….Pediatric Blog for Community Care Givers

Erma Bombeck
“When God Created Mothers”

When the Good Lord was creating mothers, He was into His sixth day of “overtime” when the angel appeared and said. “You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one.”

And God said, “Have you read the specs on this order?” She has to be completely washable, but not plastic. Have 180 moveable parts…all replaceable. Run on black coffee and leftovers. Have a lap that disappears when she stands up. A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair. And six pairs of hands.”

The angel shook her head slowly and said. “Six pairs of hands…. no way.”

It’s not the hands that are causing me problems,” God remarked, “it’s the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have.”

That’s on the standard model?” asked the angel. God nodded.

One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, ‘What are you kids doing in there?’ when she already knows. Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn’t but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say. ‘I understand and I love you’ without so much as uttering a word.”

God,” said the angel touching his sleeve gently, “Get some rest tomorrow….”

I can’t,” said God, “I’m so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick…can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger…and can get a nine year old to stand under a shower.”

The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly. “It’s too soft,” she sighed.

But tough!” said God excitedly. “You can imagine what this mother can do or endure.”

Can it think?”

Not only can it think, but it can reason and compromise,” said the Creator.

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek.

There’s a leak,” she pronounced. “I told You that You were trying to put too much into this model.”

It’s not a leak,” said the Lord, “It’s a tear.”

What’s it for?”

It’s for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride.”

You are a genius, ” said the angel.

Somberly, God said, “I didn’t put it there.”
― Erma Bombeck, When God Created Mothers

Mother’s Day is around the corner. I think I have been watching the Hallmark Channel too much.  I watch the commercials reminding everyone to thank their Mothers and I find I need boxes of tissues. I am very lucky to still have my Mom with me. She is 84, she still has a twinkle in her eye and my mother and I  argue everyday when we talk about who loves the other more.

I am a wife, a daughter, and a nurse but the greatest gift I was given by God is being a Mom. I played with dolls until I was 13, and always wanted to be a Momma. I married at the age of 28 and we struggled with getting pregnant for many years. We had almost given up and then we got our Miracle. Our first daughter was born in May and what day do you think she came on? Mother’s Day! God has a great sense of humor. I love everything about being a Mom. This may sound weird but I love the smells of my children. I love that baby skin that just has the most heavenly smell. I love the wet hair smell of a freshly bathed child. I love their hugs and kisses. I love hearing about their days, whether it is a good day or bad day I love listening. I love that they enjoy the food I make. I love that they come to me when they need something fixed whether it is a tangled necklace, a bloody finger, or a hurt heart.

Mothering is not for the faint of heart. I don’t know about you but I am constantly second guessing myself. “Should I  have kept my mouth shut” or ” I should have said something” or ” I should have insisted that they eat brussel sprouts and carrots when they were 2yo”. I guess in the end you do the best you can and I pray a lot. When I talk to people considering having children, I tell them children help you to not be selfish and they teach you about unconditional love. God had a plan when he gave us babies that smell good and are so stinking cute. We love them so much that by the time they get to be sassy teenagers we have a bond that can’t be broken.

Mom’s “don’t lose heart”, you are doing an amazing job.” You are doing the greatest job on earth, raising the next generation. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!