COLOSSAL

It’s almost Mother’s day so naturally I’m reflecting on the colossal nature of my kids’ lives. They do nothing small. Not the good stuff. Not the bad stuff. It’s all colossal and I usually have the just about the same feeling in my guts that you get when you reach the pinnacle of a roller coaster climb…just before the drop. This year more than any other in their lives has been HUGE for change.

As moms we expect the normal leaps and bounds of going from infant to toddler, little kid to teen. All those colossal milestones are mapped out for us and we just wait to see when each kid will hit the mark. My kids have run the gamut from colossally immature to colossally mature even in just the past week. ”What to Expect When You’re Expecting “did nothing to prepare me for the level of parenting I would take on this year. Neither did any other book I’ve read and I’ve read A LOT.

This has been a COLOSSALY challenging year. Just since last Mother’s Day there has been a high school graduation, boot camp graduation, the beginning of a military career, a newly licensed driver, a four shade hair color change  (over 3 weeks) a prom, the first armpit hair, the start of middle school, an imprisoned father and a HUGE, public disciplinary issue. This weaved in with the usual mix of checkups, sports, grades, acne, boyfriends and girlfriends, where’s my phone, can I have 5 dollars and why do we have to have THAT for dinner.

No wonder I feel like my guts are going to come out my nose. I am sure your year hasn’t been much different than mine except maybe the details. Here’s the thing - being a mom IS colossal. Right from the moment we pee on the stick and it never slows down. It’s rewarding and scary and sometimes boring (think endless laundry). It is hilariously fun and the hardest job you’ll ever love. You cry for opposite reasons sometimes in the same day. You worry and wonder and pray and yell and cuss and give kisses out like candy all in a few hours.  And then you see them sleeping, looking all angelic and it hits you. THIS is the most colossal love you have ever felt in your life. That’s it.

So push down the safety bar, raise your arms and enjoy the ride Moms. I know I will