A note to myself after Mother's Day

We are not really a gift-oriented family, and events such as Mother's Day and Father's Day tend to fall by the wayside, especially if one of those holidays happens to fall on a show weekend as it did this year. But, since I had all my people home and together (including the bonus of my own mother being here), it counts as an excellent Mother's Day. Anyone with grown children knows exactly how rare having everyone around really is.

Anyway, the whole honoring Mother-thing got me thinking. I sometimes get so caught up in doing everything right, making sure I don't fail my children and ruin them for life, that I forget what's really important. So here is a note to myself, so I can be reminded how I want my children to remember me. Because really, if I only focus on preparing them for life and forget the intangibles, how much is that preparation really worth?

I want to be the mother who...

• jumps on the trampoline
• plays games
• smiles and laughs
• joins in the fun
• doesn't stress about the little stuff
• can be trusted to listen without immediately reacting
• gives lots of hugs and kisses
• allows my children to pursue their own interests and not just mine
• dances in the kitchen
• breaks into song
• tries new things
• is quicker to understand than to yell (still need to work on this one)
• is interested in many things
• is funny
• shows God's love to my family and others in tangible ways
• can handle disagreement
• provides good food
• realizes the occasional non-healthy treat is not the end of the world
• is willing to make a mess
• puts people ahead of stuff
• creates a joyful home

It's a start. Essentially, I want my children to remember a joy-filled home. It is so easy to lose the joy when checking boxes on to-do lists and making sure to get everything "right". Instead, how much better to relish the people whom God has put in our lives? 

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And and article that published last month and I missed it. Am I Too Old to be Adopting?