"i am not skilled to understand"

"what god has made, what god has planned." - dora greenwell

i hope you have all been blessed with wonderful mother's day celebrations. i've got to admit, i've had a great day. it began by chris bringing me a feast for breakfast, in bed; followed by an organizational exhibition that shocked and awed the family; along with a nice afternoon nap; visited some family; ate a fabulous dinner; went to mass. overall, it was a great mother's day.

it was nice to have a day to reminisce and celebrate my motherhood. in part, i rejoiced with the blessings of mothers that i myself have had the pleasure of knowing --- and there are very many that have impacted my own life; equally, i was able to thank god for the blessings of my own vocation to motherhood.

i feel like as a catholic culture, we've been blessed with saints and holy role models to chase after --- st. gianna beretta molla, our Lady, mother teresa --- to name a few. then there are the ordinary women, like my mother, and my mother-in-law, who take raising their children as serious business, and wind up raising some of the best. i feel like i have been particularly blessed with many excellent role models.

there are also mothers who i have not had the priviledge of meeting, but i know with the fullness of my heart were (or are) excellent women and wives --- martha, my sister-in-law's mother, for one; kathy karlman, who was told by a priest to abort her daughter and one of my close friends, karoline.

these are all women that i know fulfilled and continue, in one way or another, heavenly or earthly, to fulfill their vocations as mothers, spiritual guides, mentors, lovers, and teachers for their families.

i hope that i am able to be blessed with the love, audacity, strength, bravery, faith, and hope of these women. i hope that in my journey through motherhood, i can have what it takes to leave a legacy on my family and those around me.

so where ever this journey of motherhood may take me, because as dora greenwell has so fairly put it - i have no idea what god has willed and planned for my life; i only know that at his right hand is my savior, Christ; my lover, my heavenly spouse, and my creator - i hope that i may fulfill all that it means to be a mother.

mother.