INVISBLE MOM

Sometimes moms wonder if we have any purpose or if all that we do is even worth it. Sometimes we feel that all we do goes unnoticed until its not done(i.e. laundry, dishes, meals). Our job is truly a calling an often with out thanks. I received this email this morning and it brought tears to my eyes.

INVISIBLE MOM by Nicole Johnson

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I’m on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I’m thinking, “Can’t you see I’m on the phone?” Obviously not; no one can see if I’m on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I’m invisible; “The Invisible Mom.”
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?
Some days I’m not a pair of hands; I’m not even a human being. I’m a clock to ask, “What time is it?” I’m a satellite guide to answer, “What number is the Disney Channel?” I’m a car to order, “Right around 5:30, please.”
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She’s going, she’s going, and she’s gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, “I brought you this.” It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn’t exactly sure why she’d given it to me until I read her inscription: “To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.”
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour – the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, “Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.” And the workman replied, “Because God sees.”
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, “I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you’ve done, no sequin you’ve sewn on, no cupcake you’ve baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can’t see right now what it will become.”
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don’t want my son to tell the friend he’s bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, “My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.” That would mean I’d built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, “you’re gonna love it there.”
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we’re doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women. Great Job, MOM!

Its like Christmas all over again.

For about a year now, I have been searching for a favorite childhood book. I could not remember the name of it but I remembered that there was a little boy and a parade of animals on the front cover. Some people tried to convince me into thinking that it was "Where the Wild Things are" by Maurice Sendak but, I knew in my heart that it wasn't. At one time I thought, maybe it was "The Happy Lion", but that was not it either. But Alas, my eyes cast their gaze upon this little treasure at a birthday party Dolly attended last weekend. I picked it up and my heart flooded with joy! "In the Forest" by Marie Hall Ets. I kept repeating the name of the author in my head until I was able to get back to my Mom mobile and write it down. And of course at that point, I had forgotten the title but, I remembered it was Ets! So later that night I did an online search for Ets and could not find this beloved book. Then all of a sudden creeping out of the halls of Internetdom was the image of "In the Forest".

Perhaps I would not have experienced the same level of exhilaration if I found this book a year ago when I began my search. I know that God delights in the little things and we both smiled that day.

Im still alive

I managed to climb out from under the laundry, find my computer and blog. It's been awhile and updates are in order. Just as I expected Noahkeem ate pieces of the pretty little colorful crayons that we made. We won't be visiting that recipe until he is out of his crayon craving days. Little Dolly is standing an is turning 1 in a couple of weeks. And I'm still mailing out birth announcements and Christmas Cards. Sometime before the children are adults and starting families of their own we will have all of it together. LOL! Until then, I have resolved to be at peace with certain issues that keep popping up.

-Babies that are not potty trained will poop several times a day, this is a sign that assures me that their bowels are in working order.

-I will not refer to cleaning a floor by the words sweeping, mopping, or vacuuming. I will consider it build up removal so as not to let the debris build up to an unhealthy level.

-Someone is always bound to spill something on the floor after it is sweeped or mopped no matter how careful they are.

-Socks are never missing, they' re just being held hostage by the dryer.

-Those who do not think my home is clean enough are welcomed to grab the cleaning supplies themselves.

My Zo has been a doll! We bake about 2 loves a bread a week! This week we will attempt pretzels and pizza dough. So far we have made bread, cake, and bread sticks. After our first 6 loaves, Noahkeem ate fresh baked bread for the first time. He does not like bread. The next day, he would not go near it. But, when we made the cake, that's all he asked for! Coincidence?

Its a rainy kind of day outside. Which only means one thing for a home school family. Find something to do inside. Well besides trying to make it to the summit of Mount Laundry, Rocco wants to make bread sticks and we're gonna take a shot at making some crayons. I have a recipe that appears simple enough. You take a mini muffin pan, fill it half way with crayons and bake. Then once they are cooled you can use these wonderful multicolored creations. My hope is that Noahkeem will finally have crayons that he is not compelled to eat. On the other hand it just might look like one big colorful cookie to him.

You do what ya gotta do.

Yesterday was a morning filled with errands. First stop was the UPS store-mailed 2 packages. Then to Home Depot to get a toilet repair kit (fixed handle today), then to post office to pick up certified mail, then to mall to order contacts. And of course some well meaning person said the famous line "You have your hands full". So I did what any proud mother of 4 beautiful children would do held my head high, ignored her and proceeded to the line at the post office. Do people really think that if you have more than one child its because you just happened upon it? Although some may, this chick didn't. Is telling someone that they have their hands full suppose to make them feel some unrelenting feeling of overwhelming stress and regret of having children in the first place shake? Or is a compliment? Perhaps the next time I hear it I'll smile and say "Thank you". If I had one child, I would have ran the same errands. But, I have four. Nothing in me says leave them in the car or leave them at home (Both could be hazardous at this age) When you have children, You do what ya gotta do. Sometimes it may take longer but, so what? You do it. You're the mom. Kudos, to all the mothers out there that have managed to stay at home, Educate their children and run errands all before the sun goes down. Kudos to those that save it for another day.

You do what ya gotta do.

Happy New Year

Well the New Year has been exciting already. Given the last several weeks, I just may be blogging only once a week-unfortunately. My darling Cookie has proclaimed a motto/resolution for our family for the New year. "Cooperate in 2008" And trust me its on many levels not just getting along with others.

I am happy to make an announcement, and say that I have added another servant to my staff. Her name is Zojurishi. She is a bread maker, and also makes meatloaf, jam, cakes and all kinds of dough. You can find out more info about her at breadbeckers.com. I am thankful for all of my servants, i.e. Dishwasher(soon to be replaced), Voicemail, Crockpot, Washing Machine, Dryer, VCR/DVD player, food processor, Kitchen Aid. But I think the Zo is bound to be the favorite right now..

Be Blessed today. Choose Life.