What is a mother???

"Mother" is a concept that cannot be fully realized until the position is filled by a woman, pregnant with potential of new life bearing a heart that is fully engaged to being the sole provider to a child. Being a mother is an really an attitude, a perspective, a way of life. If you are a mother, you understand this. If you are not, you should be in awe of it!

I am thankful that I had a good mother whom I loved very much. She was not overly demonstrative with affection or praise because she was abused as a child by both her mother and father and then oppressed for years with my own father but she knew that her words could either be very helpful or hurtful to the hearts of her children. She would often say "a child will only live up to your expectations, speak highly of them and to them of themselves". She did her best to respect herself, care for herself and not dishonor herself with negative talk nor slander or even truthful speaking of others behavior toward her. She was loved by so very many wonderful people. Many adopted her as their "second" mother. She passed away September 16, 2011 so I am looking at this second Mother's Day since her passing with bittersweet waves of emotion.

I have had to learn to be a mother to my son...it wasn't hard. I think that true mothers are birthed as soon as they see their newborn baby. Her heart fills with love, her eyes fill with tears and her whole being is dedicated, at that moment, to this beautiful and precious child. My experience started with having atrial fibrillation...my heart beat was out of sync and fast! My heart was beating irregularly at about 150 beats per minute compared to my son's heart which was beating just as quickly. I gave birth to him through Cesarean section at 33.3 weeks gestation or nearly 7 weeks premature. He was 5 lbs and 12 oz and 18 inches. He remained in the neonatal special care nursing for 13 days. I tried to breast feed him but he would not "suck" and so I pumped mother's milk with the immunity building colostrum for 10 weeks before I returned to work full time. Being a mother has changed my life. The transformation happened instantly and continued to change me daily, I became a mother more each day. There is nothing in the world like being a mother. I would not exchange it for any talent, skill or career.

I share this Mother's Day with you, dear Singing a New Song friend and hope that you will have all the joy, love, peace, smiles, hugs and kisses that you can bear. YOU are worth it!!!