My daughter is amazing.

She smiles at me when I’m not perfect. (I rarely am.)

She laughs with me and thinks I’m the most hilarious person that every lived. (She’s not far off there.)

She hates it when I cry. (Thankfully, I’m usually like Lindsay Bluth on Arrested Development who can hardly squeeze out a tear.)

In short, my daughter is observant, empathetic, appreciative—and she’s the reason that I can’t wait to roll out of bed each day.

Mother’s Day is so close that I can smell the flower arrangements. (It’s a good smell.) Yet the simple, wonderful gifts of this national holiday are the ones that sincerely make it special—you know,those little people who are often not “this height” to ride roller coasters.

 So what is it about kids that make the world worth living?

1. Sincerity. Kids tell you how it is. They spell out “truth” in black and white. How refreshing is that?

2. Humor. Children find joy in the small things that adults sadly stop thinking about. The other day, I watched my daughter sing into the mirror while doing sweeping hand motions and giggling at herself when she fell down. To me, this says a lot about finding simple hilarity in easy-to-find places—but it also contains a deeper, underlying message of laughing at ourselves when we trip (because we all hit the pavement on occasion, but not all of us get back up gracefully or with our humor in tact).

3. Thoughtfulness. My daughter is, by far, the most thoughtful human being I know. She looks directly into my eyes each morning to greet me; she always notices my moods and she takes in each moment of her day as if it was the most special thing she’s ever witnessed—and you know what? It is.

4. Originality. There’s a reason, too, that everyone talks about their grandkids as if they invented the wheel—every kid is uniquely individual and exciting to witness grow. Watching each child develop and flourish is watching nature at its finest. Yet, as adults, it seems that we’re always working to regain our authenticity. I hope to show my daughter every day of her life how much I honor her individual spark.

5. God. I have a pretty on-off relationship with God. I’ve explored a lot, I’ve held belief close to my heart, and I’ve also played a very willing skeptic. Still, for me at least, it’s nearly impossible to not believe in something when I look at my little girl.

Children truly are a blessing, and just like most blessings that come our way, we can choose to appropriately acknowledge them or not.

Unfortunately, not all children in this world get the love and attention that they should; that they crave and need to grow into parts of a healthy society.

So as this Mother’s Day approaches, look around at the sheer beauty that’s been planted into our lives in the forms of all these tiny, little people. They won’t stay miniature forever—they’ll bloom into mommies and daddies themselves—but all of us have something permanently childlike within, and maybe we need to honor that more often too.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you hard-working mamas—you’ve earned it; and Happy Mother’s Day to all the kids out there.

Thanks for being you.

 

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Ed: Bryonie Wise

 

Source: theweekendhomemaker.com via Vered on Pinterest