Out of all my accomplishments, being a MOM is the greatest.

There is something to be said about getting to be a "MOM".  Some days you get up and there is nothing that keeps you from being you.  Other days, you get up and it can be so challenging just dealing with any kids - let alone your own. But, I think this year I have finally come to the conclusion that being a MOM really isn't about me.  Sure, I have always wanted my kids to know right from wrong, make good decisions, have greater opportunities and generally 'make me proud'.  But it truly isn't about just how they make me feel - but more about how they make others feel and the imprints they are leaving on everyone else's lives.

The day I was blessed with my kids they all left individual fingerprints on my heart.  Each of them very unique in design have together brought happiness to our family - beyond anything I could have ever imagined in life.  I look back at the pictures from the last ten years and I cannot believe how much they have grown - right before my own eyes.  But then, I look past that and see who they have become and how important that is.  That is the part of being a Mom I have never understood, until now.

On this Mothers Day I am sitting here feeling extremely lucky and proud.  While one is on vacation - texting me what she is seeing in California, another is working with his Grandfather and spending time growing up to be a very responsible young man.  The oldest is spending this day picking out a new puppy learning what it is like to become responsible for the direction that her life heads, while another spends time figuring out who she is and what having some new-found teenage freedom really means, to herself and to those she has found new relationships with. Although in many different directions - I feel very lucky for the way they share their 'presence' rather than any presents.

So, today being a Mom has been extremely exciting and rewarding for me.  Thinking about how those little hands have grown from fingerprints on my heart to hands that are capable of touching so many lives - is the greatest gift of all.  Thank you Brittany, Taylor, Trey and Brielle  -  you make me very proud and every day that we get to share I consider the greatest gift of all.

Happy Mothers Day