Tag: The NieNie Dialogues (page 1 of 1)

Happy Mother’s Day

jennifer michie audrey and her son

Today we celebrate mothers, be they old or new at this game of motherhood. This year I have watched my best friend, my partner in crime, my confidante, my sister, become a mother.

She has blossomed in this new role. She knows her baby. It is still surreal to see my sister as a mom. Not that she is not capable, but to have watched her grow for 9mos and to now see this little person, kicking and rolling and laughing and eating her little puff cereal and talking jibber-jabber is a miracle, pure and simple. She has created life and so has our own mother who instilled in us values and a love for life; who gave us strong roots, but equally great wings.

The greatest role we can ever have is to be a parent to someone, be they your own children, or someone else’s. To guide and nurture a little soul into this big wide world is a blessing and a gift bestowed to us. Happy Mother’s Day to all Moms, be this their first Mother’s Day or not.

Before I leave you, I wanted to share with you an essay written last year and submitted onto the  NieNie Dialogues. It was written by Emily Baer (the original post can be found here), it is called Sensible Shoes, it spoke to me and I think it will resonate with you as well:

Sensible Shoes 

by: Emily Baer

Motherhood is mostly about wearing the right shoes.

We are ballet dancers with our newborns in the middle of the night. We are construction workers on the living room carpet with our toddlers and their building blocks. We are scientists and mystics when banishing bad dreams and monsters in the closet. We are coaches, cheerleaders, teammates when life gets tough and faith is thin on the ground. We are therapists and sometimes we are drill sergeants. We are intuitive, understanding, and forgiving. We are the kissers of boo-boos, the medical team on the field, the picker-uppers, the duster-offers, the go-get-em-now-ers.

We are the teenage battering rams. We are the least liked chefs. We are the ponytail wearers, the carpool drivers, the wipers of smudges, the please and thank you enforcers.

We are the grateful recipients of dandelions and painted paper hearts, of whispered I love you’s and little hands held in the dark; and also of rolled eyes and skeptic pre-teen attitudes.

We are a brave face. We are pilgrims on our knees asking for guidance, direction, and a few tablespoons of grace. We are the tearful-proud standing in the corners, watching our little ones blossom for all the world to see.

We are believers of make believe and impossible dreams. We are the keepers of maps, the holders of keys, pilots and co-pilots when those dreams take flight (and they regularly do).

We are champions of the underdog. We are party planners and cupcake decorators, banner hangers and town criers when the world should know how wonderful our children are.

We are the oft under-consulted consultants. We are collectors, curators of our children’s hopes and histories.We are the ride to the movies, the ticket to freedom, the tether to self discipline.

We are the first sought when something is amiss. We are the seekers and the finders, be it mittens, or homework papers, or broken heart pieces. We are a harbor. And a force. We are just the right words at just the right moment; a quiet resolve to see things all the way through.

 And when it is entirely necessary, we are professors of lost arts, like how to spin around barefoot in the sunshine.

Sock Monkey

This picture made me smile this morning, when I was getting caught up on my Blog reading today. It is from the Nie & You Blog. I like how he (or she?) has been casually set on his little perch, waiting for someone to come back and play with him.

It is so lovely outside today, I wish I had someone to go run and play with. The sun is streaming down, the wind is lightly blowing and it would be a wonderful day to walk down to the park and play on the swings.

Maybe tonight after dinner we will do just that! A little ice cream and getting pushed higher and higher on the swings, never hurt anyone! You are never too old to bring out your inner child and just have fun!

“Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you’ve never been hurt and live like it’s heaven on Earth.”  
✤ Mark Twain

(Sock Monkey image copyright The NieNie Dialogues, Swing Time Fun by Jennifer Michie)