By Tiffany MacKay

Me and my mom

As Mother’s Day is fast approaching, I thought I would take a moment to salute all of the moms out there. There is no way to fully describe to someone who has not had the experience of being a mother what being a mother is. From the moment you find out that you are going to be a mother till you take your final breath you never stop being a mother, no matter where your children are. There are no words strong enough or descriptive enough to explain this state of being.

As a mother you learn what it really means to have a part of your heart and soul leave you and grow to be something entirely independent of you, but still a part of you. How do you describe the joys and sorrows of trying to raise a child and help them to become something wonderful? There are words that come close but I don’t know that they completely do the job.

Grandma with her first grandchild

For me, looking into my boys eyes, I see a physical manifestation of so many of my hopes and dreams. I see the hand of God working in my life and a gift that is so precious that it sometimes scares me that I might not be worthy of it. Yet somehow I know that I am.  That motherhood is something that I was meant to do and that these children that I have been given were meant only for me. They are my legacy, my light and my joy.

Me and my boys

Being a mother grounds you and gives you wings, it takes sacrifice and brings joy. As mothers we are teachers, mentors, cheerleaders, disciplinarians, peacekeepers and mediators. It is a job that I always knew I wanted, but could never understand until I was given it. I hope that every day is a Mother’s Day to you and your experience as a mom brings you as much joy and happiness as I have been blessed to feel in the short time that I have been a mother.

I would love to hear your own thoughts about how to best describe being a mom.  What does it mean to you?