Mother’s Day : A Mother’s Hands

I’ve been debating most of this week if I would join the rest of my blogger community and post something about Mother’s Day.  Nothing had hit me quite square in the eyes as a topic until today.

A friend sent me this post: 3 Things You Might Not Know About Proverbs 31 and as I read through it, a verse jumped out at me.

Proverbs 31:31 states: “Praise her for all her hands have done…”

When I read that, I instantly thought about my hands.  My mom’s hands.  My grandmother’s hands.

“…all her hands have done….”  Are they ever idle?
When I thought about the things I’ve done today alone I sort of chuckled.

There is so much that we as moms do daily.  If I consider only the things I do each day as mother, and consider those things my mom and grandmother did, I came up with the following list {and it only includes about the first 1.5 hours worth of activities}:

• Prepare meals
  • milk bottles, lunches, snacks
• Change diapers
• Help potty-training toddlers use the potty {this could include a LIST of things, including but not limited to wiping and cleaning up after…}
• Aid in the changing of clothes {I said aid because we have 2 very independent children who like to change their clothes themselves…}
• Mend clothing {put back on buttons, fix holes}
• Search for shoes that have disappeared from their “home” – this could include getting on ones hands and knees or even stomach to see under a couch or other piece of furniture…
• “Help” children who do not want to brush their own teeth…can I get an “amen”?
• Brush hair and clip in hair bows {my mom would have either curled or put mine in pigtails…}
• Install squirmy children into their proper car seats for transport
• Wipe faces and hands
• Wash hands {which will always include your own}
• Hold hands
• Hold faces
• Wipe away tears
• Tuck in pockets
• Button shirts/pants
• Put on sweaters/jackets/coats
• Pick up toys and anything else on the floor that should not be…crumbs….
• Haul the daily bags to the car
• Wipe snotty noses
• Pick up things that were dropped or thrown down by child who is now screaming about said object that is completely out of your reach
• Drive
• Turn up the radio so that you don’t have to hear screaming
• Help siblings hold hands in the parking lot, even when they don’t want to
• Wave “bye bye”
• Blow kisses

So my hands, your hands if you’re a mom and the hands of our moms, they’re busy hands.  They fix and prepare, they help and show love.  All the things your hands have done just today alone is extraordinary.  I praise my fellow mommas out there for all that they do.

I praise my mom and my grandmothers for all that they did for us as kids growing up, and as adults now.  These hands…with freshly painted nails {mom had no idea I was going to ask her to text me pictures of her hands…but she was prepared!} have done so much for us and for our kids.  Thank you, Mom.

I love you so much.