Birth-mothers' Day

I understand today is Birth-mothers' Day, so I thought I would post my thoughts about the four biological mothers of my four sons.

One of you we have met.

One of you we know only from a tiny picture taken my son's lifetime--half your lifetime--ago.

One of you has passed away.

One of you was lost to the same darkness now clouding our shared son.

But all of you, each of you, lost a son when I gained mine.

And I don't know how to thank you.

I'm not sure I've been a better mother than you would have been, so I guess it's not about better.

You gave them life, and I gave them a place to call home.

Which is more important?

There is no "more important."

It is simply how things happened.

As far as I know, you don't know the God I know, so to tell you it was his plan would likely be an offense to you.

You may have been scared, brave, in pain, or not even in your right mind.

I am sorry that you don't know the young men I know.

And I'm sorry that they don't really know you.

If you're wondering, we think about you, we talk about you, we pray for you.

And I'm trying to get it right for both of us.

ErinRMS 5-13-17

Life is Rich

The richness of life is that certain thing. 

--a kitten's purr breath

--a puppy's pepper feet

--April lilacs nowhere yesterday and everywhere today

--hot fudge sauce you almost can't swallow

--tiny fabric softener jammies hugged and folded and waiting

--the smell of the space between your little boy's ear and neck

--the way he mispronounces that one word you secretly hope he never figures out

--a worn out bedtime story

--a grass and blood stained victory

--a cap and gown in a package on the dining room table

--laughter memories that bubble up out of your belly years later

--sweaty-headed summer evenings running with neighbors in new-mown grass

--the ghost of the scent of your grandma's kitchen

--that first sip of coffee

--the ocean depth of an old friendship

--inside jokes that aren't even funny

--mutual laugh lines and shared softness

--the sweetness of being seen and known

--the gold mine of a new friendship

--that moment of knowing

--the realness of the Father

--the fierceness of the Son

--the closeness of the Spirit

--right words in right places at right times

--the swell of a harmony that zings from your heart right to your tear ducts

--finding home and then going there and then finding your way back again

The richness of life is a certain thing.

The richness of life is a thousand things.

erinrms 4/29/2017