Sunday was such a beautiful day that I couldn’t resist getting out for a long walk…while listening to some of my favorite songs. “New York State of Mind” played as I was reflecting on the day I spent with my daughter. Olivia will deliver my first grandbaby in three and a half weeks!
Lately, I have found myself going into Mama mode as the arrival of this precious bundle approaches…once a mama always a mama. Even
with grown adults…I can easily jump into that role night or day….I’ll never stop being a mom…it may seem less frequent…but certainly no less important. I get such pleasure when leaving town to bake a batch of oatmeal cookies and leave them on my kitchen counter for Stratton to pick up on his way home from work. (The love note of thanks always touches my heart!)
Thursday, I had the need to check on Olivia…I remembered when I was expecting my first baby… how tired I was after teaching all day…(man that was a long time ago!)
So as a mama who loves to cook…I began to bake…all the things that I thought she might like during the last few weeks….chicken and wild rice soup (will post on Pinterest tomorrow), a turkey breast, pork tenderloin, spaghetti and of course…OATMEAL COOKIES. With the car loaded up…I made my way to Louisville to check on one of the three best blessings in my life.
A day visit is never enough..but we covered a lot of ground…a dry run to the hospital…I know where to park…what floor for labor and delivery…scares me just to think about it! A lesson in how to disconnect the carseat from the base and properly attach it in the car…with all that behind us…a movie and dinner made for a some great mother/daughter time.
Thinking about mothering my own children, I remember the fear of making mistakes…doing something wrong…so much pressure to do it all right. The passage of time is a wonderful thing in many ways as we can reflect on how much we have learned…
What I have learned is… no parent does it ALL right….we do our best in making decisions…and over time we may learn that we need to try a different strategy or approach…parenting is a process…reading all the books in the world is nothing to on the job mothering…and parenting. I found constants to guide me…my faith..Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.”…my personal values and belief system…to me being a mother has been is the biggest responsibility I have had.
So as I move into my new role…I am going try and be like my mother was to me…available…not pushy…helpful…not in charge (which will be my challenge)…and always an encourager as she grows in her new role….
Olivia and I will experience what I consider a rite of passage in a few weeks. She…a first time mother and me…a grandmother. For the first time, she will understand how very much I love her….and I will understand what my friends have been telling me…”It is the best part of life!”
I can’t wait!