On Being a Mother

To me, being a mother means

not just wearing my heart on my sleeve, 

but having it tucked into the pockets

of the little people who call me, 

"Mommy".

It means worrying about things

that never crossed my mind before.

To me, being a mother means

really loving others

more than I love myself.

It means seeing the future through the

eyes of my children.

For me, being a mother means

knowing that my heart will break

when their hearts break.

Being a mother means knowing that they 

will grow up, leave our home,

search for their birth families.

For me, being a mother means laughing at

the silly things that they say,

feeling like they are the four smartest kids

in the whole world,

talking about them non-stop to everyone.

For me, being a mother means

sharing in their lives,

their laughter,

their joys.

It means crying with them when they cry,

encouraging them to keep trying even when they feel like

giving up,

rejoicing with them when they succeed.

For me, being a mother means living

each and every day for them.  It means seeing the world through

their eyes.

For me, being a mother is by far the best

job ever.