Truth for the Trenches

Psalm 126: 2-6 Our mouths were filled with laughter,      our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations,      “The  Lord  has done great things  for them.” The  Lord  has done great things  for us,      and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, [ c ]   Lord , like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears   will reap  with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. What makes you cry? Lack of sleep, physical pain, being yelled at, cleaning up blueberries off your freshly mopped floor, noise, arguing, not fitting into your clothes, repetitiveness of your days...didn't I just describe motherhood?  This Psalm has been rolling around in my head all week and being sung through the dishes and egg cooking and bath giving and lunch making. ...

(1980s with my mom) As women we still find it hard to grow up. We want our moms to be the moms of our childhood. To forgive, not show their hurt feelings, hold us and love us. But do we let our moms be human? Do we let them be women? This is such a challenging relationship for most, a struggle and a joy tangled together. We want our moms to not have feelings, to not ask anything of us and to think we are the best. I promise your mom does think all those things. But, she is human, she is also a women and she has emotions; they range every spectrum just as yours do. She has expectations, she gets her feelings hurt and she can't turn off her desire and need to protect you. As we grow from girls to women and we ask our moms to allow us this freedom we have to give them the freedom to grow from a mom into a woman. As I got married I pushed away to form a new family with my husband. But, I hurt my mom in many ways and I didn't communicate well. She gracefully walked in h...