Daughters

I thought a lot after reading on Jessie's blog about the obligation placed on daughters to thank their mothers.  Hallmark is especially enthusiastic at creating cards to tell our mothers how wonderful they are and how thankful we are to have them.  But little thought is given about how mothers should be thankful for their daughters.  In my case, I have daughters and daughters-in-law.  I feel that one of the greatest gifts from God are my children, all six of them.  For this post, I am going to share a bit about my amazing daughters and daughters-in-law.

I am blessed with 3 beautiful, talented and very different daughters.  I tried passing clothes down from one to the other due to limited finances, but how each one wore their clothes, told me it was silly to ever think of them the same.  Each one has their own challenges and their own strengths to meet those challenges.  I often felt at a loss to assist them on their journey.  I still remember being with one of my daughters during labor and I felt helpless, with 6 deliveries of my own, hers was quite different so I offered to cry with her and we did.  I also feel joy with their triumphs.  They are each such remarkable women and feel it an honor to be called their mother.  We have fun, too.  One of my daughters was shouting at me on the phone.  I appreciated it very much because I could hear her.  However, her friends got after her for 'talking to her mom like that.'  She cheerfully replied, "How else is she going to hear me?"  Another daughter defended me indirectly when at her work with foster kids one of her coworkers said that some kids couldn't go home because the mother had multiple personalities.  My daughter pulled the worker aside and told her it is possible.  Then informed her surprised coworker that I had been a multiple.  For each daughter, I could give a whole list of different experiences.  I learn from them in their willingness to try new things.  There determination to do the best they can.  I believe very strongly we need a daughter appreciation day.

My daughters-in-law were picked by my sons and asked to join our family, such amazing women.  I feel our family is enriched with each addition, each so wonderfully suited to each of our sons. The first one had the opportunity to live with us for a few weeks before the wedding.  I delighted in listening to her and my youngest daughter chatting and laughing while getting ready to go to school. I teased her that she was the only one in the university that had their mother-in-law in class with them.  Our second daughter-in-law lives far away with our son.  Our talks about his wife and the look on his face warms my heart that he found a woman for him that lights up his life.  She sends sweet emails letting me know how they are.  Our third daughter-in-law also shares my interest in photography.   Her creative talent and her willingness to share makes evening browsing Facebook delightful to see what new things she is doing.  Each of my daughter-in-laws are wonderful and are great to have in our family.

I am in awe that I have the privileged of  being called 'mom' by these six wonderful women.  I read with sadness the blogs of other women that talk about how their mother's are unable to respect them.  I feel sorrow when I think of my own mother's decision to treat me as either an extension of herself or her enemy.  Her own fears tore apart any chance for a mother-daughter relationship.  I feel sad that each mother's day I am reminded what I don't have.  Then I turn my heart to the next generation and see that I am more than compensated.  I am so fortunate.