To be "Mamma"

Kai's sick today.

I didn't know he has sick until I picked him up from preschool and took the boys to the park. I sensed something was wrong when he just wasn't playing as much.

The runner, the bug finder, the climber, was just slowly walking around and even came to lay on my lap a few times as I sat on the bench enjoying the beautiful day.

When we got home, I realized that his body was HOT. I took his temperature, and it was 103.

Oh dear.

I couldn't tell from the Texas heat...we were ALL hot, but 103 is a bit much...

And soon after that came the vomit. All over my just-showered-butt and all over the couches, pillows, blankets I had out for Kai and of course, the floor. ALL OVER. As I rushed to take Kai to the bathroom, clean the vomit, wash it out of things, ran to get a bowl, a cup of water, and other things for Kai, yell at Jaiden to NOT TOUCH OR PLAY IN THE VOMIT, rushed around to get things situated and taken care of, something strange overcame me.

I felt a profound gratitude for my simple life.

Most days, I feel pretty useless around the here. I rarely ever get recognized, or acknowledged for my work and my labors don't always bare immediate fruit. I get lonely, bored, and even fall in the occasional trap of wallowing in self-pitty for what my life is at this moment. But in all the hustling and bustling just moments ago, I realized that this is what it is to be "mamma."

Strange, and yet, Beautiful.

I gave thanks to my Heavenly Father that I have a wonderful husband, who has a good job. It doesn't bring in extra income for all the things we want, nor is the pay phenomenal. And yet, it allows me to be home for when the kids NEED me.

It somehow meant everything to me to be there to catch Kai's upchuck (all over me). It meant a lot to gently rush him into the bathroom and wash him off. It meant a lot to me that I was the one who was here and that I was the one who could love and take care of him, not someone else. In the moment of trial and hardships (exaggeration here), I saw the blessings of the simple, and yet IRREPLACEABLE life I have.

I am a "Mamma".