happy mother's day!

I love homemade cards made with tiny hands. And I love the love and effort that goes into them. These cards and our little ones' smiles, hugs, kisses, snuggles and I-love-yous all serve to buoy us as mommies when our reserve energy and patience are exhausted and there are still hours until daddy comes home.

I am completely convinced that some moment when our kids are 28 or so, they will turn around, look us in the eye, and say "Thank you for being my Mom."

If they become parents themselves, we might even get an exhausted phone call early some morning thanking us for cleaning up all the poo and sick and mess through their early years.

And if they and their children survive all the way through graduation, we might even get thanked for our sacrifices of time, love, money, sleep and hope of a flat stomach so that they could grow into the well-rounded, well-adjusted, confident happy adults I'm just sure they're all going to be.

But until your children get around to those big thank-yous (beyond the macaroni necklaces and hand-colored cards of Mother's Day), let me take a moment to thank you, fellow mommies.

Thank you for having the guts and optimism to bring new life into this world. You give me hope.

Thank you for the mental energy and time you spend trying to raise your kids in an intentional, loving way. You inspire me every day.

Thank you for the obvious things you sacrifice for your children (I might never go to the pool if I wasn't sure there was going to be another mommy there with as much tummy wiggle as me) and for the personal sacrifices that your children, spouse and friends may never realize. They make a huge difference in our world and in your children's lives.

Thank for the unseen hours of hard work teaching your children how to love themselves and others, how to show kindness and have empathy, how to share and make others feel welcome. Your children will grow up to be peace-makers.

Thank you for being committed to creating a community (whether you are a local friend or blogosphere friend) where our kids feel safe and loved, and that supports, inspires and encourages brave parenting. Our community of mommies keeps me both afloat and anchored.

Thank you for doing what you do, doing it with such grace and humor and for loving and accepting me (tummy wiggle and all) into your ranks.

Happy Mother's Day!