borrowed words

Instructions on motherhood

On Tuesdays, slip love notes in their lunchbox. When you need to leave the house, start preparations twice as soon as you think you should. Put the dandelions they bring you from the yard in a vase by the window. Take note of the small miracles; the rosy cheeks when they first come in from the cold, a sock’s match, the way they hum up the stairs. Do not Google your heavy worries at midnight. Apologize often and press their warm bodies close to your heart. Make it a practice to take them outside and show them the stars. Point out Orion, Taurus, Gemini, and tell them about the God that made every one. Most things are fixed by honey tea and a blanket. Pray for help often. When in doubt, go outside to give the kids fresh air and sunlight. Perhaps most importantly, remember motherhood is not a contest. It is not a performance. It is not a measuring stick of your worth. You will not have all the answers, and that is just fine. But what you can have is the courage to live fully in the moment. Don’t wait to feel ready for for everything to make sense. Be present. Grow with them. Experience motherhood in every way it is offered. We have so much of them. We have so little of them. It will all be more beautiful than you could ever believe. 

@laurawifler