The Sweetest Word Ever Uttered Through Spaghetti Stained Lips

~ Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: "Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all." Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. ~ (Proverbs 31:28-30)
   Well so far none of my 7 kiddos have "risen up and called me blessed," they've call me plenty of other things but sadly, blessed has not been one of them.  A while ago someone on television was speaking to another woman and called her "Lucy." Daniel said excitedly "Hey! That used to be your name mom - but now it's Mom!"
I am not sure if "Mom" is a name, a title, a role or all of the above rolled into one, but it sure is the sweetest sounding word to my ears. This three-letter word can evoke a wide variety of feelings in me in an instant depending on the situation.  Nearly seventeen years ago the very whisper of that word would send me into a depression for days. How cruel "that word" sounded to a young woman just married and just having had a radical hysterectomy. Thinking back to that season in my life I can still feel the sting, that overwhelming pain associated with the word "Mom" knowing I would never hear it coming from my own child's lips. A pain so deep only another barren woman could possibly understand. It still brings tears to my eyes..... not because this body could not do what it was designed to do but because so many young couples out there experience that same heart ache everyday .... and so many young ladies out there never get to hear the sweetest word ever uttered through spaghetti stained lips .... "Mommy."
When my wonderful sister carried a baby for us and gave birth to our daughter, the word "Mom" was the most important word in my vocabulary. It described who I was. I was a MOM! What an achievement. I did absolutely nothing to earn that title but it spoke of the responsibility that was now placed in my hands. (And what a beautiful little responsibility she was.)  So much meaning wrapped up in that tiny word. I remember the thrill of hearing her first attempts at saying "Mama". What emotion that word evokes at any given moment. She's a teenager now and that word on her lips still makes my heart sing.
Over the years we've added even more kiddlings to our family and I've had the pleasure of hearing "Mom" in a wide variety of tones, volumes, and meanings..... but it still thrills me each time I hear it. As we move toward finalizing Baby Girl's permanency in our family I am reminded of how very unique our family is and I am grateful. We have been blessed with seven beautiful children and I wouldn't have changed a thing about "how I became their Mom", I am just so thankful that I am.

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A moment of humour from our home to yours:
Nicholas: "I don't like sea food."
Shane: "Yes you do."
Nicholas: "No, I don't!"
Shane: "YES - You eat fish - that's sea food!"
Nicholas: "That's not sea food, that's lake food. I like lake food but not sea food."
Shane: "Oh."
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