Expectations

I have to say that Mother's Day this year was one of those games played with expectations...the kind where you lose! Don't get me wrong, it wasn't terrible or anything. It just wasn't what I expected. For one, I don't have a child old enough to understand it, so no cute poems or decorated flower pots. No "I love you mommy", or "Happy Mother's Day", because she can't say those things yet. In fact, poor thing had a fever (which I found out the next day was due to an ear infection) and hadn't slept well in days. My sweet husband, normally so great at surprises on days like that, just didn't have anything up his sleeve this year. No plans or gifts. It was one of those days where you didn't really think you had any expectations, but it turned out that you did, because you find yourself disappointed. Then I read a friend's blog, and she made a point that really hit home with me. The brunches, flowers, gifts, etc. are all nice, but is there really any way to thank a mom for the daily sacrifices she makes for her children? I long to feel the importance of my job sometimes. I KNOW it's important, but I don't always feel the value of it. That is where expectations come in. To expect one day to validate the daily toil of motherhood doesn't make sense. When I let the expectations and resulting disappointment go, I actually had a really nice day of rest and relaxation, 2 things I desperately needed! And the value of my job was validated at 1:30 in the morning, when my sweet child was sick and crying and mommy was the one who heard and woke up, and went in to provide comfort. So in the end, Mother's Day gave me exactly what I needed...validation that being mommy is a sweet and precious thing to be.