moms

6:05 a.m. tuesday
i was standing in my bathroom getting ready for the day that was ahead of me. i remembered i had an appointment with dr. jackson to get a new retainer, knowing there was no possible way i couple swing my appointment come thursday. instantly i was in a panic trying to figure out when my insanely busy schedule would allow me to get all the way out to sandy, not once, but twice.

in that moment i had a sudden realization. i had braces on for almost four years. i had an appointment once a month for all that time. being that i was in elementary school and middle school my only means of transportation was my mom. times that by 4 other kids, that's a LOT of trips to dr. jackson office. then i thought even more. my adolescence consisted of:
-dance lessons{ballet, jazz, tap, and gymnastics}
-piano lessons
-rec soccer teams
-high school swimming
-tennis
and that's just me. i have 6 other siblings that were all involved in equally busy activities. i was beyond humbled by the many sacrifices my mom had {and continues} made. i'm sure there were a million other things my mom would have rather been doing with her time. i mean who wouldn't want to drive 7 kids around to a million different activities?? right?

my freshman year of high school i decided i want to be on the swim team. fun and ambitious right? i'm sure that's what my mom thought when i told her there were two practices a day, one at 5:30 a.m. and the other after school. that meant my mom {or sometimes dad} waking up at 5:10 a.m. three times a week to get me to practice. that also meant mom picking me up at 5 p.m. 4 days a week, and one day a week {sometimes two} with a 4-5 hr swim meet. looking back on that i don't ever remember my mom complaining about it. the worst part is, i don't remember ever thanking her either.

the point is my mom has made countless sacrifices for me over the course of my life. i don't know that i will every be able to fully understand or appreciate all that she's done for me until i'm a mom doing the same things. but i've caught a glimpse of it. grateful hardly seems adequate.

so mom, thank you for the:
-countless rides to my different endeavors.
-countless "mom, if so-and-so's mom drops us off can you pick us up?"
-the hours of YOUR time you spent on me.
-the many nights you were up with sick kids.
-the numberless dinners you had on the table every night at 6.
-for always being home after school with a snack and a listening ear.
-for scaring away the nightmares.
-for drying wet eyes.
-for letting me know there is nothing in the world more important then me.
-for committing to a 6:20 a.m. family scripture study. {which often left you with grouchy kids who were up earlier then they otherwise would have been}
-for making me lunches all the way through my senior year of high school.
-for being my best friend.

so to all you young mother's out there. i'm sure there are many days and night when you feel like your giving motherhood every ounce of energy you have and it all goes unnoticed...it probably does. but one day your kids will grow up... they will have a moment like mine. they will be filled with unspeakable gratitude. they will realize just HOW much you've sacrificed, and all that you've done for them.

mom. i love you. thank you. thank. you.