I was born 39 years ago today under an African sky in the middle of nowhere Zululand.
This will be my twenty first birthday without the woman who gave me her name, her story, and her crooked smile.
I have grown up and into her skin. Children in two different countries myself, a whole host of zip codes and learning finally the value of the seemingly small.
Because you can dig your life into the ups and downs of a neighborhood around you and find you have the dirt of good community under your fingernails. And that there’s no shame in cleaning toilets. Or changing diapers. And that while I thought my mom was a dreamer caught up in her books, I missed the part where she was writing the story of my extraordinary ordinary right there even on the days she picked me up late from school.
How she wiped my bangs back from my eyes, so softly. How she danced in the living room to Bruce Springsteen. How she made me soft white bread sandwiches sprinkled with sugar for the most decadent of snacks and fanned me with my sheet on the sticky summer nights. How it pours out of me, this being Jo’s daughter and me learning the art of living the big right tied up in a bow of the small.
The curls or blue, baby toes of a summer afternoon.
My baby daughter climbs out of her bed and comes to my side late at night, “cause I just gotta tell you sumthin’, mama.” And I’ve made my choice. This is my story. This song of motherhood that sings over everything else I do.
Whatever job I’ve had, whatever long commutes I’ve traveled and daycare drop offs I’ve navigated I return to the homing beacon of these babies that have poured out of me like an anthem to the glory I didn’t know could live in loads of dirty laundry and Batman Underoos.
There is a superhero that lives here buried in the daily routine and the remembering to sign school forms and fill out the requisite number of reading minutes completed. There are songs that rise beyond the smell of burnt bagels and take flight on Monday mornings right there on the smudged counter top between the school lunches and the back packs.
I’ve got it wrong a hundred times.
I’ve lost my temper, my mind and my favorite jean size.
I’ve caterwauled and threatened to quit and wondered if I was up for the challenge when the finish line keeps moving and there is always one more load of dishes to do.
But we do what we do. We load those dishes and the words that need to be said again and again and again. All the “I love yous” and the “I’m sorrys” and we start over and we forgive and we bend lower and remember that leadership in a family is uniquely tied to followership of a Gospel that says the first shall be last and comforts mothers when bad days happen because His mercies are new every morning.
And you are mighty because you mother.
Because you mix raising tiny humans into the chaos of a life spilled out on business development, or your etsy store, the law firm you started or the art studio you opened. You say yes and open your arms and create wonder for a five year old the night before you have to be at that big presentation.
You go all in even on the days you are right done in.
You mother.
You are the deeper meaning in the rut of routine.
You are the art in the landscape of ordinary.
And this makes you super extraordinary.
A friend sent me this cape.
She knows I joke about how motherhood should come with a super hero cape.
But it was no joke when I held that cape in my hands. I felt the surprised tears coming from a deep place of exhaustion. A place of being overwhelmed and worn right through like the carpet the kids have tracked too much mud over for too many years. The stretch marks from mothering don’t end after labor.
We keep laboring long years after kids arrive.
It is heroic. Maybe more so because of how seldom it is recognized.
So today, on my birthday, may I offer this gift? Simply a reminder that if you mother, grandmother, aunt, or babysit children then you are remarkable. Period.
And I’d like to pass this beautiful cape, this red and golden reminder of the glorious ordinary of motherhood, onto another mother.
If you’re reading today, will you click here and come and leave a comment, a story, a sentence about another mother who has inspired you lately? Or who needs encouragement? Or who is a super hero that perhaps has lost her cape?
I’ve got one with her name on it.
And at the end of this week I’m going to randomly choose one comment and send this cape on to it’s next owner. And then maybe one day she’ll pass it on again too.
We none of us do this alone.
This story of motherhood? It is celebrated every time a child huffs and puffs and blows those birthday candles out.
Like so many wishes come true.
Updated:
There is a super hero cape now making it’s way to Talitha’s mama. But may I just say, the secret is that all mamas are wearing that cape – look over your shoulder friend, it’s already there fluttering brave in the wind. I promise.
Talitha, comment #64 said: Momma was always there. She just went through stage 4 breast cancer last year and again, what a pillar of strength. Her faith is strong even when her body is broken down. All of this while walking through depression, clinical, life-long depression. I wish she could see what others who know her see: a woman who has overcome again and again and who has given a living legacy to her children and now grandchildren as well.
I have a mom in my life who NEEDS that cape. My auntie Brenda. Her son was murdered at a house party on January 12 this year when he was just 20 years old. He was my favourite cousin and I got to do his obit at the funeral (1100+ people for this amazing boy who was at the wrong place at the wrong time) but it’s my aunt who is my hero. She has been so very, very strong when all the world has come crashing down around her, leaving a gaping hole in her, my uncle and my cousin Morgan’s life. All of ours actually. Punky (my name for my cousin) was her boy. He was an unashamed mama’s boy and while she puts on a brave face, she’s hurting so hard. The family has done an AMAZING job of trying to heal, trying to bury the bitterness along with the best son and brother who ever lived, but you can’t imagine how hard it is. Just today she stood up in front of 150+ people to thank them for coming to the first annual memorial golf tournament (Punky LOVED golf and trounced every male in the family at it with ease) held in Punky’s honour. She has all but adopted Punky’s two best friends as her boys to love on, and they enjoy every second of it. She holds my cousin Morgie when she cries and adds countless tears of her own, but keeps moving forward and healing because she knows thats what Punky would have wanted. She supports, loves, cherishes, cries with and screams alongside my uncle when things get just too hard to bear. While she couldn’t hug her boy on his 21 birthday on August 1st this year, she and my uncle hosted a whole slew of us at their cabin for Punky’s birthday party, complete with cake and ice cream, and said a silent prayer when it was her turn to float a candle on the lake in memory of her first born, her baby boy who is gone forever form her arms.
It is SHE, my auntie, who truly is my superwoman.
That takes my breath away, Jill. Super hero indeed. Thank you for sharing her story.
Thanks for that..cried quietly the whole read as I lay w my daughter..she’s too scared to fall asleep on her own.
Hey Alyx, I remember those days of paralyzed arms buried beneath toddlers and their beds. Peace on you both tonight, friend.
So many possibilities as I think of all the Super Moms in my life. Each one has helped shaped who I am as a mom. I am grateful for them. Thank you.
I have a whole amazing host of them myself. Mothering takes a village, doesn’t it?
Hi Lisa-Jo. I’d like to nominate my friend Ruth to be the next recipient of this superman cape. She is MOM to four beautiful kids, two biological and two foster (with one soon to be adopted!!!!!!!). Ruth is a walking testimony of caring for the orphans. She inspired a phenomenal ministry that started in our 6000-people-big town, to create layettes to give to new moms who have made the brave choice of LIFE for their babes and yet don’t have the resources to carry out their decision. She believes that if we are going to be anti-abortion, we need to be pro-adoption/fostering – as individuals and as a community.
Many a day I call or email my dear friend to see how she’s doing and she responds with tears. Each week is filled with its own drama of paperwork, visits, and appointments. Of questions, of bureaucracy, of heartache, of tears. The feeling like this might be the last week she and her husband can take it… and then there are waves of grace, miracles that set the heart right, reminding us all that this is not about her and her kids but about a loving FATHER… ABBA, who loves these kids even more than she does. She holds on to letting go, to surrender.
She still manages to arrange meals for new neighbours who come, fundraising events to support our local Crisis Pregnancy Centre, and she even manages to homeschool her two youngest. She would admit that she doesn’t know how it all gets done… but it does… well, at least the important stuff.
She is one of the most beautiful people I know and in such a place of weakness, living on the strength of the Lord… and yet so full of deep compassion for these little lives she’s been charged with. I do hope that will send the cape to her. I know she would cherish it for a moment before she sends it on to another mom who is needing an extra boost.
What a testimony, Michelle. Just amazing. Super hero indeed.
I have a few moms to nominate that need encouragement but I say give it to Jill K’s Aunt Brenda from comment number one. I’ll encourage the moms around here with my words and passing on your post and all of the (in)courage posts as they come but I think Jill K’s Aunt should get this one.
hi – i’ve been reading for a while now…love your honesty and the way it pours out of you – definitely a God gift. We serve as missionaries in Madagascar and I think the mom who needs that cape is my supervisor, best friend, and neighbor – Jodie. She is often one of my biggest encouragers whether it comes to language, home sickness, or being a mom. And, she’s doing this while juggling being a wife, mom to 3 boys (under age 6), and being a missionary. It’s a different life out here – for sure – no daycares, Sunday School classes or nurseries, no inlaws to keep the kids for a date night – it’s just us being where He has called us to for this season in our lives. We wouldn’t trade it for the world but it doesn’t mean that that cape wouldn’t help us remember that THE Superhero has enabled us to do all things.
Hey Nickolee – anytime we’ve lived overseas, it’s been the women willing to mentor or encourage or invite me over that have made me feel at home. A precious and amazing gift, this one. You’re so right.
There is a mama in my life who is a superhero to me. We met when she started dating my housemate in college, who she then married and moved with to another state where they could raise their kids on one income. She gave up her career to mother, sever years before I had my own baby, and has been my model of firm and loving boundaries and commitment to raising children into adults you want to be around. When I have the kinds of days that push all my buttons, I think about what Nat would do, and instead of yelling, I do that. Now her boys are in second and fifth grades and she and her husband are living separately, trying to the weather the transition back to finding their lives both together and separately. I see her walking this path with so much integrity and sadness and also still showing up so completely for her boys. She’s a superhero for them, every day.
Hey Dona, yes I have a friend like that too. She helps me be the best version of myself in the worst moments. What a gift.
My friend Helen. She has four kids under the age of four, she and her husband were just blessed to be able to open his own granite shop(a long time dream), only to be hit with the news that her Mom who moved in with them two months ago due to not feeling well has now been diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer. Her Mom is on hospice and staying with family. Meantime beautiful Helen, who sweeps her joy and love contagiously upon her friends, splits her time between being with her Mom, and being with her family. She homeschools and hopes to be more supportive in the granite shop when she can. She is holding on to Jesus, and working through it, but it is a tough time. Keep her, her family, and her lovely Mom, Kate in your prayers please.
Oh Joan, what a woman. What an amazing story of courage and love in the daily moments that make life so precious and family so sacred. Thank you for sharing.
I second that motion to give the cape to commenter#1’s (Jill K) aunt Brenda. Let’s all love on her and that family! And pray for them. There is no depth of grief comparable to losing a child. I know from watching my own Mom when she buried my brother. He was 31. It is a soul wrecking grief that smothers. It was only by Gods grace that we made it through and could slowly see and feel the beauty of life again.
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
How do you do this to me? You have a magical way with words. They reach deep deep down and grab onto my heart. Every. Time. Yes, every time I visit this space I cry, I feel motivated and recognized. I feel forgiven and stronger and I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings even if today was the hardest yet. Thank you for cheering me on.
Ah my cuz, happy birthday – I remember. I remember 39 years ago when my baby girl cousin was born. I was all of ten and a half. How important I felt being the one to push her in the pram around the garden, peba her on my back, kiss her soft cheeks, and curl those baby-soft-blonde curls through my fingers. I remember the letters typed on blue aerogramme paper describing Zululand through the eyes of a one year old – the first taste of ice cream, the sweet stickiness of ripe mangoes, juice running down your chin and through your sticky fingers. I remember the drop lip, the lanky teenager, the bangs in the face that Jo would push aside and then clown around until she coaxed a smile from those pouting lips. I remember the angst at being a mom, especially a mom-to-a-daughter mom. How proud I am, how ecstatic she is, at the superhero red cape wearing, inspiring and cheerleading mother you are to not only your own brood but to us mom’s who are digging deep wells in the hearts of our children. How I love you my cuz. Happy Birthday!
My sister in Christ Saundra T is a wife, mom, grandma and a friend to many. We met in 1978, when I first entered our church. She has suffered through many illnesses, had much joy, buried a beloved son.. and has opened herself to God’s joy by helping others. She was with me in hospitals when I had my children, as well as when I had surgery and treatments for cancer. She was with me when my husband left my kids and I. I saw when she helped so many others, when she herself was in great physical and emotional pain. She is always the first to encourage me, with truth that I may not want to hear at the moment. I thank God that although she and her hubby live in Texas and I in NYC, I still feel her love in my life. We communicate every day through FB. I admire this great, lovely, humble woman of God so much, and I miss looking at her sweet face. If I can grow to be half the woman she is, it would be wonderful. I just turned 55 yrs old on August 24, I’m a mom of two adult children who love the Lord and an abuela (grandma) to 1 1/2 babies.. a 2 yr old grandson and a grand-baby-girl due in Nov. Saundra is not old enough to be my mom.. but she is a mom, sister, and friend to many of us who are blessed and fortunate to have her in our lives.
Happy, happy birthday!!!
Happy birthday!!
Love this post :)
I wanted to nominate my sister Penny who is a single mom raising two kids, with one being wheel chair bound but after reading the first testimony, i feel Aunty Brenda deserves. I just want to thank you for all these wonderful post, they really lift my spirits when I’m having a tough day . I have two boys of my
and have been a stay at home mum for the past 1 year y difficult at times. Reading
your post after a tiring day just cheers me up and I know i am not alone. God bless.
Happy Birthday Lisa Jo.
Thank you for this post, and even though I am not a mom and never have been. I can understand the frustration you go through as a caretaker of another human being.
Thank you for this post because I have been looking for a voice. I am a caretaker for my mom and feel like this is the utmost total reversal in life.
You have helped me find a position to cry out what I need to say. From your loving lamentation as a mom I now have a kinder understanding of my own frustration of helping another being. A human being who on some days makes me want to pull my hair out and ask what in heavens name am I doing. I am in no way qualified to do this. But, still I do.
Thank you for helping me figure out my voice in this world.
She doesn’t wear many diamonds or pearls, but she sparkles and shines like they do , always. A pastors wife she has been my entire lifetime. She is humble and meek, but strong and not afraid to share anything she is thinking, in a refined way. She was always waiting. Like a shepherd over her flock. She kept it all together, and still managed to smile. Once in awhile, on late nights, I would hear her in the bathroom, softly crying….that’s when she seemed like a superhero to me the most. When she cried, it was a reminder to me that life isn’t always easy, but it sure is worth living, and I was always amazed, at how she kept it together. A prodigal child, you might call me- always trying to find my own path- and there she was at the end, of every single dead end, no outlet,waiting to receive me in all my brokenness. Every time I discovered, I had made a wrong choice, or a mistake- or I came into the house with a handful of pieces that came from my broken hearts. Never judging. Only loving me. Forgiving me, even when I made her cry or hurt her feelings, and even when I didn’t say I was sorry. There she was, with the shadow of the dark night. A beacon of hope, of love, of compassion . Renewing my strength. Her body, recently stricken with the ugliness and pain of rheumatoid arthritis. At the young age of 56. They say eventually her body will be crippled from this disease, but her heart? Her soul? Her love? They will never be. She is my superhero in every way. My mother.
My friend Dawn a fellow American living abroad in Denmark. Today her husband is in the hospital on the verge of possible brain surgery due to a condition he has. They have 2 small children and all there family live faraway. There church family has lovingly come alongside them to help with there 2 small kids. But its still difficult when they miss there Dad and she is there to be strong for all of them. She is truly being a Super Hero Momma today and we are all praying she experiences the strong arms of God holding her up in these uncertain times.
My Super Hero Mama is nearly 77 years old. She has survived a lot over the years-cancer twice (they told us she would die but God had other plans :c)), that alone inspired me to never quit. Today, though, she rescued me, yet again. I have been moving her and a disabled brother to a new home. I totally messed up my knee and had to have a procedure where I am unable to walk for a few days. There she has been, several days in a row, picking up and carrying boxes with my daughter and son-in-law (also heroes this week) while I look on in wonder. She doesn’t need the cape, she knows she is my hero, but I needed to tell the world. She is a wonder and a blessing that is everything God meant by the concept of mother!
I copied your birthday post off and put it in my Bible, Lisa Jo. That is where all of my good advice for my descendants goes. There are several of your posts in there, btw. ;c) May the Lord always bless you with a means to convey what goes on in that beautiful mind of yours! Happy (late) birthday!
I’d like to nominate my friend K who has had to move country with two children for her husband to look for work. She didn’t want to leave but her partner was so adamant that that they had to move that she didn’t want to split the family up. Her children have been disrupted out of a life they’ve loved, she has left behind her own business, her church and her friends. Life has not worked out for them where they have gone and they are really struggling. She never ceases to look on the bright side though and is always sending positive messages. I miss her so much as she became one of my closest friends. SHe’s an inspiration and she deserves a superhero cape!
My Grandmother prayed over me yesterday a simple & glorious prayer… That our family would increase in love; A depth of love we didn’t know could exist. #itiswellwithmysoul
First Happy Birthday! Thank you for sharing your birthday with us by giving us the gift of your words that echo such truth, beyond bounds and centuries.
There are so many to choose from. How can I choose but one?Mothering does indeed go on, even into adult life as my friend commits to help her youngest daughter on Tuesdays, watching the precious little one she brought into the world a year ago, and another daughter on Wednesdays, traveling 45 minutes to do so, to enable her three grandsons to have one day at home to play and be free of schedules set by someone who is simply doing their job.
Or the mother who daily cares for the child who cannot communicate by standards of the status quo, because of Autism. Not the dream for the child she carried for nine months and beyond. Not the plan at all. And so emotionally draining as she balances the needs of her boy with the loss she feels of never really knowing her son, his feelings and thoughts on everyday issues, both big and small.
Or the mom who has gone to school to earn a degree while working a job, because her husband’s business folded in this downward economy and they lost it all, even their home. So she stretches and juggles and finds rides for her girls and money for field hockey and rearranges work schedules so she can attend every school event, yet sacrifices by working while the rest of the family has a fun day at an amusement park or family gathering.
Or the mother who finished up home schooling her last daughter, all the while suffering from the ill effects of chemo, after a double mastectomy, hoping and praying her Katie would have a normal senior year, like the one she labored to give her oldest two daughters, though all she was truly capable of was lying in bed, and yet she didn’t.
There are so many, too many for me to choose but one.
Motherhood is a life-time calling, for once you mother your own, you mother always…anyone who needs a bit of tender love, no matter the age.
And the most amazing thing of all in this cycle of life, is when you get to mother your own parents in there twilight years, due to ill-health, or mental capacities that wane. A challenge on so many levels, because all the while you want your mommy as you mother your own.
Thank you for the opportunity to reflect on this today. Just what I needed.
Beautiful Lisa-Jo. Happy birthday! Every mama I know should come equipped with a super-hero cape. I rarely wore a robe, but one morning I put one on after my shower and was walking around the house. My 2 1/2 year old son asked if I was wearing my “mama cape”. Every time I see a robe now I wish another mama BIG super powers in her mama cape too. xo
Lisa-Jo,
You are my favorite blog writer. You write so beautifully about the ordinary mothering moments that are extraordinary, and the daily struggle we all face to forego ’ourselves’ and provide these moments – so important to the foundation of healthy, happy children.
Happy Birthday LJ – this is beautiful as always! And I love your excitement to give to others. I’m halfway through a two week separation as my husband is away for training. And while it’s tiring, stressful, and downright hard to mother these two little toddlers (and boy if I thought one was hard, two together?!? Wow!), but while I face yet another meltdown of my sanity, I’m reminded of my best friend thousands of miles away doing this single mothering to her toddler-girl. The girl who made her a mother with only three days’ notice. The girl who brings so much joy and happy tears with her blonde locks and bright eyes… only to bring frustration and temper-losing madness a few moments later. Her daddy, my friend’s husband, is deployed for a year. And while they can facetime and talk and laugh together, I know how hard it is for my friend to be mothering this challenging 3 year old alone. She is a superhero for sure. So while I can look forward to this weekend, picking my husband up at the airport and finally having the help of his loving hands… she has months, many months, left to go of doing all of this alone. There are many moms who do this all the time, but today I want to remember her, pray for her, lift her up in His holy name and ask for peace, patience, and perhaps a pumpkin spice latte :)
Such a wonderful read! And even though at times I wish I had the cape, I know of a momma who needs it more! She is my dear friend Hilde, who moved to Canada from Holland just four years ago. She and her husband have four boys, the third who has Downs Syndrome. They live in a tiny little house because they bought it for the property, not the house. :) They just built a new shed to help them with their side business, a sunflower farm. Now this doesn’t sound like a momma in need – but there are days when I know she is so tired and questions WHY are her boys in her family. She is adjusting to a new country, then has a boy with special needs, then tries to makes ends meet with paying for Christian school and figuring out what is best for her family. I try to encourage her as much as I can but I know she is tired. She is my superhero and I would to give it to her!
I grew up without the sweet mothering that so many of us long for in the hardest AND best moments of our life. She didn’t go anywhere. She was under the same roof each and every day of my life. Plotting her next affair. Telling me I couldn’t be this or that. She was a difficult mother to survive. And now my own daughter is 10 and I hurt all over again. Because there are so many days that I need my mommy so that I know how to raise that girl. And she isn’t there for an entire 15 years of my children’s lives. I have been blessed by having so many good mommy friends. One specifically that is from TX but moving (and living) all over the world with her three little hero’s. Now in Portugal while her husband takes care of the country and she homeschools and remembers what it is like to be home.
Happiest Birthday Lisa Jo. You bless each of us momma’s through your own piles of laundry and bills. It takes a lot of courage to peer our over those mountains to take care of others. For that we THANK YOU! Eat much cake today!!! Hugs!
LOVE this: “We keep laboring long years after kids arrive.” -so true! Rebellious college was the worst…broke my heart wide open, and all I could do was pray “Jesus’ name” over him again and again.
Happy birthday sweet friend! So glad God created you! Cape and all…
thankful my friend Sarah Gillenwater posted this today (and I think she would make good use of that cape) as I hugged my adult child good-bye when she headed off to work with the hot tea I made her and I get ready to go be a Nanny to 3 little ones, leaving my own dust to wait for tonight, I found your Birthday blog a huge encouragement. Happy Birthday to you! Glad to know there are mothers out there who are so well rounded and passing the torch!
My friend who juggles children and work and husband and friends so perfectly. Doesn’t want to work outside the home, but must to help support the family so she uses their non-air-conditioned (FLORIDA!) back porch to work from home and be as close as possible. She wants to homeschool her older daughter but must send her to school to be able to work to help support the family. Wants to e able to breastfeed so eats right and takes herbs and pumps on every break (just to get a couple of ounces a day) to make sure she is doing what is the very best for her baby. Spends every off day morning at breakfast with her husband to make sure they connect. Then spends a lot o the rest of that day pouring into friends who need her, too. All while doing laundry and cleaning and errands and cooking. Wow. Bless her. My God-loving friend.
PS How did I forget to add that my friend (through surrogacy) also had three other babies for mommies who couldn’t have their own!!!!! Talk about a hero!
thank you. I needed this today on SO many levels. This was my devotional reading today and I felt that God used you to tell me what I needed to hear today. Especially the part about new Mercies every morning.
As always, Lisa-Jo, your words flowed into my life, my heart, my mind and my soul just in time. I needed to hear those words spoken out loud after days running after kids, battling the strong-willed three-year-old, lifting up the shy five-year-old and carrying my family on a back that is aching and tired. You have given me new strength. Thank you.
“The stretch marks from mothering don’t end after labor.”
That sentence hit me hard. Even though my child is 15 months, I’ve been stretched in more ways than one with her; some good and some bad ways.
Happy birthday, Lisa-Jo! Your post brought tears to my eyes. And how generous of you to use your special day to highlight other mothers.
The mother who is on my heart today is Diana Stone, who lost twins last year, and then had a baby earlier this month who unexpectedly had serious problems and just returned home to Jesus last night. My heart is breaking for her. I just wish there were something I could do to ease her pain. She’s on Twitter at https://twitter.com/dianawrote if you’d like to pass along prayers or kind words.
I hope you have a wonderful day!
Lisa-Jo, I LOVE your blog! You are so raw and honest and say the things many of us moms are afraid to say, but feel just the same. I would like to nominate my own mom for the super hero cape – because she most certainly is a super hero. She raised us mostly on her own, worked every day, kept our home clean, made sure our homework was done, kissed our boo-boos and our tears, applauded our successes, encouraged us when things were hard but she knew we could do it, gave us her entire heart and her attention even if there were loads of laundry to be done and dinner to cook…our sheets always smelled like the fresh outdoors (she loved to hang laundry outside), we read bedtime books every night, woke up to birthday cinnamon rolls with candles, she rolled in the snow with us, practiced playing catch, let us help give the dog a bath, taught us to drive…most importantly she just let us be who, exactly we each of us are, and she didn’t try to change us or make us better, but she supported us and our growth, she was there for every step, every heartache, every unbelievable moment, she is just there and THAT is why my mom is a super hero. Thank you for listening!
Love love love your blog. Love this story even more. For me I am raising a 3.5 year old and a 8 month old; both boys. I have my work cut out for me. On top of that I work fulltime and my husband and I have HUGE families that we are always with. There are days I feel like SuperMom like I actually have a handle on what’s going on ; the days where I can pack the bags at night and put coffee on autoset for the morning to make for a smooth morning. Then there are the times I’ve lost my cape- the times where it’s 2am my oldest had a bad dream and the baby won’t sleep and I have to be at work early. But I wouldn’t trade this for the world. I wouldn’t trade the I love you so much mommy’s or the sheer giggles and smiles out of the baby when I walk in the door. Yes we are Supermoms; but sometimes it helps to be reminded :)
My friend, Lori, who had her daughter at 16, refused to give up or give in and fought to raise her practically alone at times after her young marriage failed. Then 16 years later, she was repeating the cycle, raising the first of her four grandchildren, and still her daughter. When tornadoes blew through Pleasant Grove, AL in 2011, she lost everything … except her parents, daughter and grandchildren. In 2012, she found out she had colon cancer and after almost a year of surgeries and treatment, she is recovering. Throughout all of this, not once have I seen her without her Super Smile, not once has she had a negative comment for anyone. Her positive faith and encouragement even in her darkest times has always shone through. I am in awe of her Super Strength, her Super Smile, and her Super faith.
I think my pal Kelly has earned her cape for completing her first year of motherhood. Because her own mom passed away before Kelly was even married, she is missing that unique comfort and support in these early, hard days. I am simply a friend with older children, but I know how crucial compassion and kindness for the young (and older) mom is. I try to find ways to let her know she is not alone. A superhero cape? She would wear it well.
The best part of my day is my second, never ending job. I pray that even though I may not do everything, that I am shaping her to be the wonderful, beatiful women that will have the confidence to be the best mother that she can be. And the mistakes that my mother made, she has helped me to correct with my daughter, and hopefully I do have enough wisdom to help her when she gets the opportuinity to step into this unbelievable, loving role of motherhood. There is nothing better than seeing her smiling face, blue eyes, and bouncy blonde curls coming at me full speed when I am picking her up. Makes everything that is wrong in theo world right.
Today is my birthday too, and when I was up changing sheets on the bed at 2am I sat for a moment and thanked God that I am able to. That the act of being a mom is one of the greatest gifts I have been given, even in the hard parts of it. Thank you for the words today and Happy Birthday to you too. Your words are also a gift today!
Believe it or not, I spend all day making superhero capes for kids. Kids who have been left behind, kids who are sick, kids who need a little something-something to allow them to see that they are special for reasons other than their circumstances. They design it, and we bring it to life for them, and then capture them in a portrait so they can see themselves as the person they desire to be.
So many adults out there, deep down inside, are kids who needed a cape somewhere along the way. The pain has been buried or covered up in a facade, but they do not feel special for who they are now because of that past. I hope that cape will empower someone to feel special and want to pass along that feeling to another wounded heart.
At first, I thought I would nominate Mama Trish (Lilly Bumpus’ Mom). I follow her posts on Facebook about her sweet one year old girl who has spent her entire first year of life in a hospital battling Ewings Sarcoma. Lilly has her own cape, but I think that her Mama needs one, too. She remains so positive, no matter what happens to turn their world upside down. She is amazing and I don’t think that little Lilly would be where she is now without her Mama’s strength, courage, and smiles. But, after reading the first post about Aunt Brenda, I am torn. What a heart-wrenching story; I can only imagine! So, I think that both of these Super Mamas deserve capes! And there are so many more who are equally as deserving! Maybe we should start a Super Mama movement and get capes for all those who “need” one! :)
My mom is my superhero. This week, she marks the one year anniversary of the death of her son (my brother). This son turned his back on her and my father some 23 years ago, having found a girl and a religion and a life that did not have room for anything from his family. My mom then spent the next 23 years fighting to get him back — in all the big and little ways moms do everything. Sometimes, she was bold about it, sometimes she was subtle. But, she never gave up on him — long after my other brother and I had washed my hands of him, she (and my dad) never did. There was a moment in time — a couple years, actually — where they attempted reconciliation. My mother learned a whole new way of cooking (at 65), to accommodate his gluten-free diet; but, in the end, he turned on them as he always did, with vile insults and hateful speach that would break a lesser woman in two. But not this superhero of mine. To his dying day, she held out hope that he would return for good. He never did. And now, she spends every Sunday at his graveside, every moment wondering what might have been, and what she could have done.
She is my hero, my best friend, and the one person I respect above all others.
As often as I haven’t admitted it I want to say that I am a super hero (or rather god has changed me into a super hero.) I am redeemed. I have overcome a hard childhood and have given my husband and daughter something I have never had. A beautiful, loving home – that isn’t perfect. Thank you!
I love this part: “And I’ve made my choice. This is my story.”
Oh, for each of us to settle into our choices, to live our stories. Simple words but such deep meaning there.
A super mom? Right away, I think of my friend named, Val, mother of five, with two of her children in heaven. One child died as a baby, and Jennie died at age 17. She also has battled breast cancer quite recently. Yet, Val continues to press on, and is one of the most tender-hearted, generous-spirited women I know. She inspires me. Look at her smile and spirit here:
http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/a-community-coming-together/?id=99790
My sister-in-law is a super mom all the way. She had 2 living children and 2 babies in heaven. She lost a baby daughter at 17 days old who had heart issues, had surgery and never recovered. She was blessed to become pregnant again with a boy, but were told he had to have open heart surgery as well. He was born and had surgery at 3 days old, recovered well, spent 3 wks in the hospital , got the clear from doctors to go home. He spent 3 beautiful weeks at home with my brother and sister in law, and big brother and sister. He got sick suddenly, they rushed him to hospital only to lose him that night, at 6 wks old. How does a mother go on after losing 2 babies from this world? I don’t know if I could, but she does. She says she lives solely for her 2 living children. She deserves a super hero cape because she needs to know that all of us around her thinks she is one.
My Momma, who chose life at the age of 15 and gave that gift to me. Who kept overcoming the odds and who gave me the childhood she wasn’t given, free of abuse and sometimes neglect. The one who loves my children with all she has, My Momma. :)
There are so many people that are deserving of this super hero cape, that I really feel insiginificant even posting here today. I just want to say that your blog lifts me up. Lately I have been feeling overwhelmed, tired, and depressed. It seems that I just can’t put one more toy in the toy box, and do one more load of dishes or laundry. There is no end to the messes, and seems to be no time to finish anything. I know, I am whining, but motherhood is so much harder than I expected it to be.
I am so in a martyr attitude right now. So thank you for your blog, and you make it so much easier to find a little bit of happiness in the day to day ordinary, when every ounce of my being wants extraordinary. So thank you, and I will continue on.
I need a reminder that what I do matters, makes a difference and is important. So often I feel so small and insignificant in this world . . . No one seems to notice or appreciate what I do. I am the laundress, calendar keeper, cook, nurse, adviser, administrative assistant, and maid to name a few of my jobs. The pay is little and the praise for a job well done is non-existent. Sometimes I wonder why I do what I do and if I am even doing it right. . .
Lisa Jo thank you for a beautiful reminder of how my life has changed and the importance of all the little things. Of how every day is a chance to get it right and that my children, even when they are driving me crazy, are a miraculous gift I never expected to receive. I’ve been blessed with many wonderful, inspiring and supportive moms in my life. They’ve shown my the path, encouraged me to follow where my instincts lead and loved me no matter what. I may be exhausted but I am never alone.
Thank you for your beautiful words of wisdom and encouragement to this very tired, overwhelmed but grateful mom of 4.
Yes, we all want the cape, but I think your willingness to pass it on is so full of grace and knowing that … the first shall be last, His mercies are new every morning and mighty because you mother … that being reminded of that is enough for me the day after my own 51st birthday awaiting the birth of my fourth grandchild to my 23 yr old daughter, and yes this one is our princess finally, that my wish is that you give the cape to auntie Brenda in the previous post, I cannot imagine her pain right now and any small thing that might help to comfort her heart I wish for her……
My Mother, Nancy Catanach, is a superhero who has lost her cape. She devoted her life to her kids. She was ALWAYS there for us, did I everything for us, kept the house, did the endless laundry, did the dishes, fought for us daily, and took on the responsibility of raising us alone in our church as my Dad was of another faith. She gave us everything she had, body, mind and soul…and now she is in the midst of a divorce and I worry she feels lost as she tries to navigate her new world with one teenage son still at home and another adult son about to get married. She is my superhero and so deserving of a cape to let her know that her sacrifices did not go unrecognized.
Thanks for this post. Perfect reminder to those of us buried in the trenches. :)
Post from my friend Eve Somero Anderson today: “25 years ago at 2:30 in the morning I became mother. I was 16. I was scared. It was not a good time in my life. I was in Reno Nevada. I had gone swimming that day and gotten out because my stomach hurt. I went to the hospital later thinking maybe it was appendicitis when in reality I was in preterm labor. I had a short labor and the doctor coming was stopped by a mid-west freight train rolling through the high desert. The doctor on call came in all sleepy and Rosa flew into the crook of his arm while her water flew all over him. I had no idea. I will never forget the look on his face and he held my tiny baby up for the 1st time. She was 32 weeks. She was very sick. She was teeny tiny: down to 2 pounds 12 ounce at one point. She was a fighter. Her coming began my growing years. She is here with me today. I am forever changed. Last spring I watched her push her baby into the world and I knew the journey began for her too, this aching, lovely mess that we are. I love you Rosa. So much more than words. You have weathered much of the hard stuff with me and I love you for it and am grateful you shine like you do. God has surely covered your days, I know teen moms mess up and you were the 1st. Too much today for words.”
Your words speak to me. The Mama of a Strong-Willed Toddler, a Baby with Several Disabilities, and a New Little One arriving in less than a month. I am not going to nominate anyone in particular, but wanted to thank you for all you write. Already praying for the Mama who will receive the cape! What a blessing it will be!
My Momma. She’s always struggled with depression after being severely abused as a child. She said she didn’t want to marry a pastor because she knew she wasn’t perfect and that was her view of pastor’s wives: perfection. When she married my dad, he wasn’t a pastor, he was a police officer, but then God changed all that. She ended up being a pastor’s and missionary’s wife when God once again changed her vision of her future and brought my family to Singapore, then several places in Malaysia and finally to East Africa. She was my constant. My dad traveled up to 6 months out of the year and my mom was always there for us girls~three littles. She’s a strong woman, but she doesn’t see the strength she has. I’ve always known she was strong and then I became a mom with three boys and I look back on her life and it hits me with even more clarity just HOW strong she was/is. She was a home-grown American girl with American dreams (house, business, car, family etc) and God led her shaking step by shaking step out of her comfort zone and into the unknown. I remember one time, men came to our house with machetes looking for my father. My mom bravely stood at the kitchen window and asked for their I.D. They claimed to be police, but refused to show I.D. Mom gather us girls on the stairs and told us that if those men broke into the house, we were to go out back and jump over the fence into our neighbor’s yard. Momma was always there. She just went through stage 4 breast cancer last year and again, what a pillar of strength. Her faith is strong even when her body is broken down. All of this while walking through depression, clinical, life-long depression. I wish she could see what others who know her see: a woman who has overcome again and again and who has given a living legacy to her children and now grandchildren as well.
Wow…thank you for pouring life into us tired mamas :) I would love to nominate my friend Stacey :) she has four children from 4yrs old to 2 months old, is a sahm, and is the sweetest lady you will ever meet! She has such a way with telling stories to little kids and big kids alike. Thank you! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
My sister in law is a super-momma. Mother of 3, age 7 & under. She homeschools her babies, teaches them the seemingly lost importance of love, kindness, gentleness, humility, grace… Living on a ranch, she works hard alongside my brother. Her kids learn by her example. A strong family with dirt under their fingernails, working together to feed stock and bring in firewood. She also owns her own photography business, and takes the most breathtaking pictures! She fought like a momma bear for fair, loving treatment of her youngest son when he behaved “differently”, for reasons that may never come to light now because he is gone. In June, just 11 days before his birthday, she found her 3 year old drowned in the family pool. She breathed for him for what seemed eternity, waiting for the ambulance from town to find their rural address. She prayed, cried, hoped and believed for his healing, and in the end made the hard, hard decision that Jeff’s tragedy not be a waste. Her decision gave life, sight, and new oportunities to countless children around the country. Then it was time to leave the big city hospital and return home where she had to explain to her remaining children that their baby brother won’t be coming home anymore. She picked up the pieces for her family, and continually picks up more pieces. She’s been a rock of comfort & peace as the family heals. She is the most deserving woman I know for the honor of being called a Super Mom
I LOVE this post and know so many women who need to hear this on a regular basis! Myself included! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on the greatest job a woman can ever do!
Happy Birthday, Lisa-Jo, and thank you for always, always inspiring, acknowledging, reminding and speaking truth in this space. Your beautiful words are like the most soothing balm to this working mom who tries hard to keep it all together. Blessings to you.
Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words. They really mean a lot to me.
This year marks the 30th year since my mom died at age 49. I was 16. She was wonderful.
She was the kind of person who really saw you, really asked how you were doing, really listened to your heart. She made our house a home and I miss her so much as I am on now a mother myself.
What I remember most was the little things, the teddy bear she brought home from the store when I had chicken pox in junior high. The homemade meals, the special cakes she made for our birthdays. That she was present with us.
I wrote about her at http://christslovetoyou.blogspot.com/letter-to-mom and I honor her here this morning. This week was her birthday and I remember her and appreciate her so much.
Thank you,
Susan
First I would like to say~~Happy birthday! I so enjoy your blog and love that you are not afraid to tell the nitty-gritty and be ok with it. This is our life as mothers and God bless us all.
Thanks Lisa!
I have just the mom who needs this cape. Tara is my husband’s niece and a nurse. She has a teen age son but now also has a third and first grader. The cutest little girls you could want. She also gave birth 6 months ago to E. E was born with a cleft pallet and will be having his FIRST of many surgeries the first week in September. She is daughter, wife, mother, nurse, friend, church lady, and so much more. She is indeed a woman I consider a super hero and who deserves a super hero cape. Please consider her. Thanks. M
What a gift! This was so beautiful. You illuminate, with more clarity than I have ever read, the exquisite gift in the things our mothers do for us. You sugar dusted sandwiches remind me the fairy blankets my mom showed me in dewy grass.
This was a soul-deep roar I needed.
xo
Happy Birthday! Your memories of your mama made my eyes water… as well as the rest. Being a mom is the best part of my day and my greatest source of frustration… but I wouldn’t change it. The calls of “mother” from the other room signaling me that I am needed are music to my weary ears, even when I am weary… because they are me and my husband’s greatest blessing… :)
i come from strong-willed stock..as my grandmother put it…and thankfully still have my mom..don’t have my grandmother and that has put a bigger hole in my life than i realized..until she was gone…My mom didn’t do ALOT with me growing up but she did make time for things that i DO remember fondly…like going to her work because that was the only VCR around to watch a movie with popcorn and soda since that was what we did for fun on weekends OR go to the library and read ALL weekend with a Pepsi and good book….or making sure my sheet or blankets edges had corners that folded to make a point because that was what i did at night to go to sleep was touch those pointed corners over and over again…
I love your words…they make me smile and think about my own fond childhood memories..and sniffle and cry a little…
I nominate:
Amy – pastor’s wife, mom of three who just put the “baby” in kindergarten last week, former ER nurse, former dare-devil and jumper-out-of-airplanes, friend and mentor to so many women both in the church and out of it, lover of Taco Bell and tuna fish, kid’s party planner extraordinaire, pinata creator, battler of house issues and degenerative neck/back issues, lawn mower dancer (the mower’s name is Marty), Paula Abdul fan, and the list goes on and on. If she wins the superhero cape, I guarantee she will wear it. The question is whether she would wear it to church.
My friend’s peaceful countenance never wavers. She clings to God through the good: Like her 3 little girls. And she holds on more tightly to Him through the devastating: a diagnosis of MS while serving as a missionary. She spent days in a hospital acquiring treatment in yet another foreign country – separated from her husband and girls.
And she worried about the extra burden it placed on her husband.
And still believed in God’s Plan for her. His provision. His promises.
A month ago she and her family returned stateside. With only a few boxes and a handful of suitcases.
Now she’s waiting. For her husband to find that perfect job. For a family home. For insurance. For God’s guidance.
Heroes don’t always wear capes or fly. Sometimes they just trust and take the next step, knowing God ‘s waiting for them there with provision. With blessings. With hope.
Daily she musters up the strength to rise early and ready her girls for public school. Fixing another sack lunch. Helping choose clothes.
And she brushes her youngest’s hair back as they stand and watch the two oldest step onto the school bus.
The beds will be made. Supper fixed. And prayers spoken over her family. No matter her exhaustion and need to just lie down.
And God sees and calls her blessed. Because for some of us – Like my friend Heather – the courage to face this day is the most heroic thing she can do as she wonders, “Why me?” And clings to her Savior who knew this part of her story before it all began.
I found your blog through a Facebook friend the other day. You totally inspire me. You remind me what it is to be a mom, a woman, and a human. You also remind me how blessed I am to share a journey that has only just begun and how amazing it is going to be and is. Thank you so much!
And Happy birthday, by the way!!
My sister-in-law could use this cape, I know. She is starting up another homeschool year with yet another addition to the family (this makes 5 ages 9 and under), and at the same time? She and her husband are raising money necessary to move to Papua New Guinea and work with Wycliffe Translators. Where he will assist with technical support for translators while she takes care of their home and family. She could definitely use some encouragement these days. And her five-year-old oldest boy wouldn’t mind Mama having a cape either. ;)
My sweet friend Ashlee needs that cape. She is a mom to 8 of the most beautiful children, a teacher (homeschool style), a crafter, and a pastor’s wife at a new church launch. She encourages me and challenges me daily and I love her for it!
Hi Lisa-Jo!!! Happy Birthday! I would like to nominate my best friend Michelle. She is the mom of 4 kids from 15-5, in a 2 bedroom house, she runs a daycare out of her home, and she’s a photographer. She has been battling what is most likely endometriosis for several months, her doctor wants to so exploratory surgery to see, but it is very costly. So, she battles terrible pain monthly and she does it with such grace. She gets down on her knees to speak to the one who made her and she turns the worship music up as loud as she can. Even when the pain is unbearable and she becomes discouraged, she just turns the music up louder.
She is the first to give herself away web there is a need, she is always baking for someone else, or finding ways to love on those less fortunate. She made it possible to turn my 30th birthday into a day of being the G.I.F.T. to so many others in our community.
She always points me to Jesus. For that reason alone she is my superhero.
My friend Stephanie is a Super Hero. She has 5 kids (7, 5, 4 and 1 year old twins). She is one of those people that seem to do it all – homeschool, cook, clean, serve, mentor – but she is always SO real about struggles, shortcomings and failure. I love that she inspires people without painting a picture so pretty that people feel like they can never live up. I have two little girls and am expecting twin boys soon – she gives me wisdom and advice that I am so grateful for. She is also one of those friends who is willing to tell the hard stuff and hear the hard stuff when needed.
I could go on about her and others, but she is an amazing mom and does SO much for so many – love her!
Elizabeth
I hope that you have an absolutely beautiful birthday. You deserve it. You’re a blessing to so many.
Lisa-Jo-
I must say THANK YOU! I am a new reader of your blog, that I found through an article in a newspaper. Every word you say lifts me up. I have been feeling those mommy woes all too often these days in trying to keep up with the crazy chaos of motherhood. It seems like everytime I feel like I can’t go any further or any longer, your email pops into my mailbox, and touches my heart. I love that you keep motherhood real… it isn’t always sunshine and rainbow, but there is always a silver lining just waiting after the storms. I love that you remind me to rely on Christ, and how important he is in all of this. Thank you for your eloquent words that help me remember that motherhood is a glorious and WONDERFUL calling. ♥
Thank you so much for this post! It was needed. For myself and for my life partner Tracy. We had one daughter (biological mine) and then 20 months ago took in three nieces and a nephew due to the neglect and drug use of their parents. It was not something neither of us was prepared for. And sometimes still are not prepared for. We took them in a raise them as our own…it has been a very long and hard road so far and we have much much further on this road to go. We have been in court battles. Welfare battles. CYF battles. All because no one will give us any help what so ever. The parents keep trying to mess up these kids lives over and over agian. All while in and out of jail. I had to stop working to take care of all five because with the cost of daycare we lost money if I continued to work. We make sacrifices daily. All for their benefit! And the rewards are great. But for my partner it’s sometimes hard for her to see. She works so very hard to try to keep providing for all seven of us. It sometimes comes to a point to pick to pay our car or van payment or buy school clothes. To pay the water bill or buy groceries. It gets to much to mentally handle sometimes for her especially with te great deal Of stress she is under at her place of employment. I believe we are both super jerks. But I believe she is more than I…she does more than I could ever do and she deserves this cape. And I think it will help open her eyes and see things from a less stressful more rewarding side of things. She is our families super hero!
Reading today made me think of my Mom. I have lived the last 27 years without her. She did it all. Taught school, raised 3 girls, had Good New club in her house and always had dinner on the table “as soon as she saw the white of his eyes.” BUT died when I was 27, before I had kids.
When I tried to follow in her footsteps I ended up with not one, but 3 different breakdowns. My third daughter went to college this week and I feel like I didn’t do the “super mom” thing very well. I wonder what will they remember about me…the “teachabale moments” I was always trying to create or the frazzled mom who just fell short of the mark.
I didn’t know when they left home I would be missing what I didn’t do right…instead of just missing them.
Now I have a new life to start and I pray that I can do the next 1/2 better, with HIS help.
Reading today made me think of my Mom. I have lived the last 27 years without her. She did it all. Taught school, raised 3 girls, had Good New club in her house and always had dinner on the table “as soon as she saw the white of his eyes.” BUT died when I was 27, before I had kids.
When I tried to follow in her footsteps I ended up with not one, but 3 different breakdowns. My third daughter went to college this week and I feel like I didn’t do the “super mom” thing very well. I wonder what will they remember about me…the “teachabale moments” I was always trying to create or the frazzled mom who just fell short of the mark.
I didn’t know when they left home I would be missing what I didn’t do right…instead of just missing them.
Now I have a new life to start and I pray that I can do the next 1/2 better, with HIS help.
Happy birthday, Lisa-Jo! It may have been around this time last year that a friend linked to one of your posts, and I started reading. And reading. And reading, in a great long rush to read more, and cry, and read more again.
Thank you. Keep saying it all. Keep being you. Happy birthday.
I have the most amazing mama….She simply wore her cape at all times, a mother of three with a not so great dad for those babies. But she perserved through it all…three jobs at one time, lots of laundry and being there, that is what I remember most she was ALWAYS there…no matter what I did or my brothers, or what my Dad did, which was very little most of the time other than the damage to those babies, one being me, and I know that without my superhero mama I would not be the mama I am….She taught us right from wrong and through true proverty with no electricity at times, we never had a home phone much less a cell phone, we barely got new clothes and we moved a bunch….but it was always an adventure, one of my most favorite memories of her is playing monopoly by candlelight in our living room, we laughed and joked and we didn’t even realize the power was out, she loved us like no other and sacarificed so much, she is what I hope and pray my babies say about me..So that is just a small explanation why I think my mom deserves her very own superhero cape….
Loved this post, Lisa-Jo. My best friend lost her Mom at about the same age as you. I’m so sorry about your loss all those years ago. I don’t think you are ever “old enough” to be ready to lose your Mom, but especially not at the tender age of 18.
There is a lady at my church who is a single Mom to six kiddos. Her husband is in the system, if you will. I recently heard someone repeating something she said about how she can concentrate while driving with so many kids talking etc at once in the car. Her answer was to turn the music up really loud! I’m a wimp and don’t even like when my husband has plans in the evening after work. I can’t imagine never having someone there to pick up the slack for you.
Thank you all for sharing your stories and inspiring me with them.
And Joyful Birthday, Lisa.
This is exactly what I needed today. My story certainly pales in comparison to the great losses and hardships I’ve read here; however, I guess I can feel defeated all the same. But your post has given me encouragement and a reminder that I have made the right decision. You see, this weekend I am giving up my annual girls scrapbooking trip to make good on a promise to my precious babies. A promise that my husband and I made to them months ago and simply have not had the time to fulfill. Yet God, in His divine wisdom and providence has opened some doors and the only sacrifice/cost is my missing my trip. I look forward to the wonderful lessons and memories God has awaiting us as we surprise our children with this special getaway. Was feeling a bit of self-pity today and your post has lifted me out of it. I am blessed to be a mom and have the opportunities I do! We all are! :)
My 82 year old Mother Joyce Stanley is also a super hero. Married at 18 she started out in a very small country house with no running water. Pregnant with two toddlers and a baby on one hip I am sure she lost count of the buckets of water she carried those first few years. Growing up I remember three huge gardens that she would work in all summer long. Always barefoot, weeding, hoeing, picking and canning. Each garden was surrounded by flowers as she taught us the love of nature, the names of the birds and butterflies. I remember the loads of laundry and a clothesline that was always full even on the coldest days. The huge meals she would put on the table and us five kids getting off the bus in the afternoon to the smell of fresh baked cinnamon rolls. Mom always said you need to send a child to school with a full stomach and a smile on their face. She was a teacher a coach and a driver’s training instructor. Never missing a parent teacher conference or one of our many school activities. In 1959 we lost our home to a fire right after Christmas. She taught us that losing things didn’t matter as long as we had each other. Mom taught by example to never look down on others and to treat everyone the way we would want to be treated. She went without because she wanted to make sure we dressed nicely for school. She wasn’t embarrassed to wear the homemade gifts we gave her. When we got a little older she got a part time waitress job because she said children in high school needed to have more clothes. When we left and got married she became that always available babysitter for her grandchildren. She didn’t stop with buckets of water. She carried us too. She carried all five of us children through hard times and some failed marriages. She told me once that she has prayed so much she thinks God is probably getting tired of hearing her voice. She cared for her father when he got leukemia. She cared for her Mother until Grandma died at the age of 90 while at the same time caring for my Father who was very ill himself. She helped him through months of dialysis and carried us through his heartbreaking loss. She carried us through life threatening illnesses and accidents. Mom has lived to see the grandchildren she babysat for become productive adults. Among them a teacher, coach and a child psychologist. Two days ago at a family picnic we all helped her to carry in the food she had spent days preparing. As she sat on the recliner holding a three week old and surrounded by great grandchildren I thought how Dad must be smiling down at this woman. This wife, this mother, this grandmother. Tiny and frail now weighing only 97 lbs. She survived a heart attack and is on oxygen most of the time but our Mother is still carrying the love that I am sure was in every bucket she hauled from the well to the house all those years ago. My superhero Mother, never complaining. I now know the only thing missing was her cape.
So many more things I forgot to say. Like the fact that she watched the baby of our family go through breast cancer and never missed going to chemo with her. She also was my Rock when my husband died of cancer two years ago. He was 52. I don’t know if I could have made it through without Mom’s strength and experience since she had lost Dad after 50 years of marriage. She’s the rock our close knit family was built on. Thank God for her strength and love.
I also wanted to tell you that your story brought tears to my eyes. Happy Birthday.
Hi, Lisa! I enjoy reading your blog. I feel many of the same things as the readers above who’ve written above, but I am trying to do it with only 37% lung function. I have a miraculous story, about breast cancer, getting regnant, then finding out I had acute mylogenous leukemia while pregnant, and then going into a coma while pregnant. My husband says I frowned when he told me we had lost the baby–I don’t remember, and I am glad I don’t. It took us four years to adopt our precious little girl from Vietnam, Deidre Sang Schulert, who I flew over to get at 7 months old and 11 pounds! When she was one year old, we found out I have something called bronchiolitis obliterans, which for lack of better words to describe it, is like COPD. I am so glad I have it, not my daughter who has her whole life ahead of her, but it is wearing to live with. I do pulmonary therapy twice a week, and keep as active as I can–doing things for my daughter’s teacher like wrap books in contact paper, but I am worn out this summer. My husband is terrific with Deidre, but is working many hours this summer, so is gone much of the time. All disciplining is left up to me–last night she said to me “Mama, I wish you worked.” “Well, that could be arranged I said.” I could sure use that cape! I would sleep with it! I keep getting up when I am knocked down, but I just have lost a little bit of my ‘go get them, Tiger’ attitude. I do not want to have to get a lung transplant so I am doing the best I can. Thanks for listening!
Hi Lisa,
My name is Kara and I am new mother. We had a baby via surrogate last November. Emily is nine months old now and is the apple of our eye. My husband and I went through a lot (i.e. infertility) before Emily came into our lives. Every morning I look into her eyes as I am picking her up from her crib, my heart just smiles. I cry tears of joy when I realize what a blessing and gift she is to us. I see it when she smiles her little smile at me, reaches for me or puts her head of my shoulder. It truly is a love like no other that I have felt. And I am so proud to be Emily’s mommy.
Thank you for your blog. I just discovered it last week. Your words are so encouraging. :)
Kara
Lisa-Jo,
I cannot thank you enough for this post. It’s said a million times over on the internet, but “this post was timely.” Isn’t that how He works? I’ve only just started a blog, and… I kid you not… as soon as I posted to it last night, I was absolutely slammed with “worthlessness”. I helped my 3yr old Little Man off to bed, losing my temper over and over for nothing more than a curious mind that dawdles. I had nothing to say in response to his tears but to hold him and rock him and apologize.
And yes, there’s never enough time in the day to balance the kids and the career and the house and the marriage and God and… and… what do you mean there are sugar ants on the counter? Seriously?
*sigh*
And right down that black spiral I slipped… right into bed. With my super-husband chasing ants… my children in bed.. and my mind telling me that blogging…. not going to happen. Not when I’m insufficient to ANY of these tasks.
But isn’t that what the oppressor wants us to hear? Always? I’m in a new season of my life of following the prompting of the Spirit, and at the end of a day of worship, meeting out brand new God-son, volunteering to step out of my comfort zone and offer spoken word poetry in worship service, blogging on how the Holy Spirit wants us to “keep moving”…
NOW is when I’m hit with this yuck?
No.
Up this morning and off to work… kids dropped off… projects underway… and your post. And yes, I AM super, thank you very much. And I WILL follow the prompting of the Spirit.
Thank you so much.
Heidi Fuller
Ephesians 6:10-20
Romans 8:38-39
I know a mom who needs this cape…she is facing the vacuum that two sons leaving home makes…one married and off to the next phase of life…with a woman by his side as they both enter professional school together. The other transferring to another university, bent on a military career, possibly danger in a far-off land. And she is scared…even though she hasn’t told me so, I can feel it when I am with her…scared of the different, of the silence, of them both gone from their hometown at the same time, of a daughter-in-law who does for her son what she always has. And she needs this cape.
Thanks for writing…I am a mom of five, trying to start the next phase of her own life with only one left in my nest…and I appreciate your words, your life, your own special poetry.
Yours,
Portia
Happy Birthday, Lisa-Jo!! I am so glad you were born. :) And wishing we had a cape for every single one. These moms are amazing. And you, my dear, are a gift from God with all your amazingly honest, beautiful encouragement to be super at what God has called us to do. Thank you, sweet friend. Have a great day.
I have a daughter who is my super hero. When she was a toddler, she always had a doll in her hand. She grew up wanting to be a mommy to many. She married and finished college and then they started trying to have a family. She and her husband struggled with infertility for 3 years with testing, infertility drugs and AI then finally FINALLY their daughter was born – a complete miracle. She was In vitro. Since then, they have went through 7 more years of fertility treatments, failed Intros, 1 miscarriage, thousands of dollars and heart ache after heart ache. The last failed Invitro was just a couple of weeks ago. She and her sweet husband still trust God and they have their miracle in their sweet little girl who is now 5. The strength and grace and love and faith that my daughter displays in her life has made her my hero.
Thank you for reminding that what I “do” in this family is what really matters the most to me
You are such a beautiful woman, and I would love you, like you were my sister, even if you couldn’t make one word follow another, and despite you lose it sometimes (don’t we all).
I have no doubt, that your mother would be/is very proud of the woman you are! Lo
My sweet mom deserves that cape…and so much more! Last Thanksgiving my dad had a spinal hemorrhage that, in a matter of minutes, left him paralyzed below the waist and very, very ill. Out of the blue at ages 69 and 72, all of the dreams they had for their retirement vanished. Mom stood by Dad’s side throughout his 2 months in the hospital and 3 months in a rehab facility. She was tireless in her efforts to advocate for him and assure that he receive the best care possible. Then, in April, she brought him home so he could spend his last days on earth in the place he loved most. He required complete care, and she did it all…turning him, changing him, dressing his wounds…everything. Most importantly, when it became obvious that he wasn’t going to recover and instead was going to leave this earth far sooner than any of us had imagined, she loved him right to the gates of heaven. He went to be with Jesus on August 2 with Mom by his side – faithful to the end. Watching Mom care for Dad for eight months was the greatest example of love I have ever witnessed.
I know a beautiful young woman, who is a very special friend, who would gain such a blessing from that cape. Her name is Eloise and she has two children aged 11 and 12 whom she home schools and does the most amazing job. The reason i believe she deserves the cape is the fact, she and her Husband foster two little ones aged 2yrs and 8 months from a very traumatic back ground, so are very difficult to care for (a great lack of sleep due to screaming, upset little ones who can’t bear to be alone and a husband who is on Deployment overseas for a few months. She handles all of this with great Grace and Love, is a lovely Mother and these children are so Blessed to be in her Family. She Loves The Lord with her whole heart and trusts Him implicitly. Thank you for your beautiful love too. Kind Regards, Pat Martin
My soul sister Robin is a devoted mother who just last week walked her baby girl into kindergarten one week after losing her own mother to that beast, cancer. Robin is a hero like all the moms who push through the pain to care for their children no matter what. Though I know she wants to curl up and quit, on she goes – with a love for her daughter and an ache for her mother both immeasurable.
As a Mama (of adult children) who has wrestled death matches with regret, I find that your words wrap me up in your cape and extend hope and encouragement once again. Thank you for your heart and your words.
Deb Weaver
thewordweaver.com
I believe my mom is a superhero. She taught me Jesus and brought me up to know him and love God. She was there for me always, shuttling me and my siblings back and forth from school, piano lessons, gymnastics, baseball practice, choir, church, etc. My mom showed me the great example of loving my dad and letting us see how a marriage should be a partnership with selflessness and romance. I turned my back on her when I got to the teenage years and I struggled with being alone and wanting my independence. She never gave up on me and our relationship was healed through God, even though the things that I did and said still left scars. When I Got married, she was my biggest supporter, buying my dream dress, decorating the wedding venue, and using her talent to design the wedding reception into a beautiful place to celebrate our first moments as a couple. My mom was the only thing that kept me from falling apart when I had my baby girl and my husband’s family turned on me in jealousy. The battle didn’t end for months and I became deeply depressed. My mom helped me and knew exactly how to be there for me when my thoughts turned to suicide and leaving the anger and hurt of this world. The only way I am here today is because my momma got on her knees for me and prayed me through, along with loving me, counseling me, and moving in with me for a couple of months as I tried to journey back to living again. She is my constant cheerleader and the first person I call with any news and just to chat. She has helped me learn how to take care of all three of my babies and showed me how to be a mother and enjoy it. My kids love her because she is patient and kind and fun. I thank God for her and even though there are other mothers on here that I think deserve the cape, I know my mom is and will always be my super hero.
One of the mothers I know who deserves a superhero cape is my daughter, Kristi, who has struggled to raise her two sons through all kinds of adversities, and has loved them and protected them fiercely with all her heart, and who loves and encourages them now as they begin their own adult lives. She has never shrunk from a task or ignored a need, even through great pain of her own. She has kept her sense of humor and her faith, and she loves and works with all her heart every day.
Several years ago I was playing/teaching in the nursery class at church. There was one particular little boy who was about a year old and kept finding his way to my lap. Sunday after Sunday I would hold the little fellow and squeeze him. I noticed multiple times that his heart felt like it was going to just jump out of his chest. As time went on, we found out why…he has a disease called pompe disease. I do not pretend to fully understand what this means for “Little David” (as my girls and all of our church know him as, one because his name is David, but two because he is such a fighter.) What I do know is that when he was about a year and half old, his heart was about three times larger than it should have been. It was having to work too hard for far too long already at that point. Well, his mama, Sarah, she did the unthinkable. She went from this tame little kitty cat into a full grown lioness over night. After finding herself alone as a single mom to fight for her son’s life. She soon had to quit her job to care for her son full-time and could no longer even provide the necessities. So, she moved in with her parents. As Little David’s disease worsened, Sarah buckled in and boy did she roar in the face of Satan. She has moments of weakness. I am sure if you ask her, they have all been moments of weakness, but that is not what I see. I see a mama who quite seriously took the bull by the horns, watched her little boy go through enzyme treatment therapy time and again. She cried silent tears…she worried…she clung to his very life through her prayers. If I have ever seen a woman who deserves that cape…it is Sarah. She is the most selfless, most thoughtful mother I have ever known. Today, her five year old son has surpassed almost every limitation the doctors have put before them and is now standing preparing to take his first steps all over again! Boy how we celebrated when he used the potty for the first time. Oh….the things we mothers take for granted. They even have their own place again due to Sarah’s diligence. Life is such a fragile blessing. One we do not always choose to see, even or maybe especially when it is right in front of our face. GOD IS AWESOME…and Sarah is a super-mama!
What a great story! Thank you for sharing!
-VP
http://www.etsy.com/shop/visualphilosophy
Wow, so many of the stories left here are about such amazing women. Mothers who have taken their duty of motherhood to the above and far beyond. The world is definitely blessed by these women and their dedication and love for their children.
In light of reading some of these stories, nominating my own mother to receive the cape seems almost pointless at first. My first thought was that she hasn’t done anything spectacular or outstanding in her life. Certainly nothing to mark her as someone that would stand above all other mothers. Nothing that showcases all her strength and love and determination in one neat package that I can hold up for the world to see. Because of this, I almost didn’t put her name in at all…
But the fact is, my mother is a true superhero.
She continues to mother to her children in quiet anonymity, never asking for recognition or fame. I know that she read this article, yet she didn’t ask me or anyone else to do this for her. Instead, she shared it on her Facebook wall in an effort to encourage other moms.
My mom does all the small labors that motherhood demands of her and she keeps the household glued together when it would otherwise be falling apart at the seams.
She’s far from perfect. She doesn’t always do the little demeaning chores with a cheerful attitude. More often than not, she wishes she could sleep in in the mornings, forget about the laundry pile downstairs and pretend that she doesn’t see that load of filthy dishes stacked in the sink. She grumbles and complains and yes, she even loses her temper in front of her kids. But she never stops mothering. Even when she messes up, when she stumbles and falls, she continues to forge on. She picks herself up, dusts herself up, and mothers. There have been days where I’ve witnessed her not even being able to crawl out of the hole of depression and anger she’s fallen into, but she still does what needs to be done and mothers. Those are the times, the times that she continues to minister to us, even when her own heart and soul are crying out for help, that I find her the most impressive of all.
I’m the oldest of six children and last week I moved away from home for the first time. Being away from my mother for just a week has shown me more about her, and how much she did and does for her kids, than all eighteen years I lived with her did. Being on my own for the first time really has shown a light on how much mothering my mother really did! Little tasks that seemed to take care of themselves at home are taking on new meaning as I have to take care of them myself: doing laundry, cleaning my room, organizing my schedule, managing my money; even something as simple as locking the door at night. Every little task adds up and they compile on top of each other until you start to catch just a small glimpse into the world of mothering. And I’m only caring for myself! I don’t even have kids or a husband to worry about!
This comment got a lot longer than I thought it would, but to sum it all up: My mom, Teresa Smith, is a true mother. And even though she’ll never ask for that cape, and nobody else will ask for it for her either, I think she deserves it. Because yes, she’s not the type of mom to stand out in a crowd, but sometimes the best superheroes are the ones that have secret identities so clever, we never even know they exist until they’re gone.
This post made me laugh and cry happy tears ‘cuz someone out there just totally gets IT! “It” being all the stuff that moms go through. Initially I WANTED that super hero cape. Seriously. As I read the post I just wanted that bright, red cape. I could see my self wearing it. With it on, no amount of whiny toddler, pre-k tantrums could get me down! Then I learned I had to nominate someone else?…I thought for a good long moment still about nominating me. I have been through enough “stuff” to make most people just want to curl up in the pantry and throw in the white towel. I have had to walk a long, ugly, convoluted trail with my oldest child thanks to an awful divorce and then, once happily remarried, learned that we were infertile. Heatbreaking to have no babies. No reflections of love with the man I could safely love. How unfair could life be? Could have been bitter. BITTER. SOUR. UGLY. But, I don’t have to be because I have an AMAZING heavenly father on my side and He just works out all the wrinkles in our lives in the most extraordinary way. So instead we found ourselves adopting two special needs kiddo’s from China and honestly I have moments when I think I have birthed them. They have just gotten themselves so dug deep into my heart and soul that I am nearly convinced I conceived them into being somehow! LOL. That’s my AMAZING GRACE completely covered in laundry, pre-K/toddler madness and all the stuff that comes with parenting two generations of kids…really…I could use the cape! :).
BUT… I DO HAVE SOMEONE MORE AMAZING THAN me TO NOMINATE! Haha (really I wasn’t going to nominate myself! LOL) Here it goes:
On our 1st adoption trip in 2010 we met with vibrant couple that was expecting their very first child. They were matched with a gorgeous smart baby girl with “hip dysplasia”. This couple was seemingly an awesome match for this little girl. She took to them like glue and they were falling in love before our eyes (adoption journeys are not always seamless matches between parents and kids). Once they arrived home and had proper medical checks with the Canadian doctors they recieved life chaning news.Their story is best told by this link: “Courage and Grace” Video at
http://www.insidehalton.com/video/3066048
If that is not enough here is a an article from the Toronto Sun: http://www.thestar.com/life/sick_kids/2013/04/30/sickkids_careful_grace_breaks_easily.html
I truly think Liz is one mom who deserves that super hero cape! She has a great sense of humor and I love her laugh. She is one grounded lady. Tell her I told you to send it, that Brilliant.Red.Cape. Tell her that we are out there praying for her and little Grace. She is so dedicated to her girl. Wishing we lived closer so I could tell her everyday that she is a true superhero.
Blessings~
This weekend I had the opportunity to go for a walk with my sister, just the two of us…and her dog. It was a treat; a rarity. You see between the three of us we have 9 children and she has another one the way – Baby #7…well, #8 but the 7th she will {lord-willing} hold in her arms. And she is so excited – so excited…yet so overwhelmed, that she cried when she found out. Tears of happiness, of sadness, of fear, of uncertainty…her oldest is 11. To protect her privacy, I’m not going to share the details but there are so many things going on in her life and she desperately needs to remember that God blessed her with all the super-hero qualities she needs to do His will and lead this life He has given her and mother these blessings. A cape would be a beautiful, tangible reminder for her.
Maybe we should all look up capes on etsy and send them to a mama in need of encouragement!!
I’ll admit my selfishness – I need the cape. I am a weary but incredibly blessed mom of two. We have a beautiful two year old curly-headed girl named Hannah and a lively five year old boy named Matthew. Matthew is about to start kindergarten. Matthew has a facial capillary disorder. Matthew has gone to Children’s Hospital for treatment every 8 weeks for his entire life. Matthew will need to navigate the ins and outs of full day kindergarten with a purple deformity on his face. Matthew will need to know that he is beautiful, that his God made him perfect, that we love him no matter what the kids in the halls may say about how he looks. I work full time as a special education teacher. I’ve been home all summer with my beauties. I need the cape. I need to help show my son that we can both be superheroes. When school starts next week, I will once again be leaving my princess at my wonderful parent’s house each day and dropping my handsome son off to a new school with new people and new rules. His boundaries of safety will be shattered until he learns to build them up again at school. I need the cape. I need the cape to say goodbye to them each day. I need the cape to force my aching bones up off the couch each evening to bask in each glorious moment with them. I need that cape for a million silly reasons, the most being to stand strong for my God and my children.
Pst, Tracy, the secret is that all mamas are wearing that cape – look over your shoulder friend, it’s already there fluttering brave in the wind. I promise.
Just happened to catch this reply as I was scrolling through to the bottom to see if you revealed who received the cape. I needed to read this exact response. And I read it with tears in my eyes. We mommas are all wearing our capes, and those capes are fluttering brave in the wind, if we just look over our shoulders & open our eyes to see. Thank you for that reminder. Right there. You’ve written it so beautifully before in so many ways and with so many different words, but I needed to hear it again tonight, and there it was.
My daughter, Rachel, needs encouragement. She wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, but because she recently divorced, (Not something she wanted.) she had to get a job outside the home. Making a new life for herself, enduring office politics, and balancing the needs of a strong-willed three year old and a sweet 6 year old, who have also been affected by the split, is wearing. (I have such sympathy for all single moms. Motherhood is hard enough with a supportive husband!) As I try to help Rachel, I miss my own mom. So many times she “came through” for me when I was at my wits’ end.
Happy birthday! I am so glad to have “found” your blog.
Thank you for your beautiful words – you always hit me right in the heart and remind me so often how ordinary can be extraordinary. My Aunt Lori needs the cape….. as a mother herself she is going through her first year (along with her sisters, my mom included) without her mother. My grandmother passed away in April after a battle with cancer. I see it affecting my aunts and mom all differently but for Lori more so…. They were best pals, confidants and supports for one another as they both went through the cancer journey. Lori needs to be reminded that she is a superhero – a cancer fighting, child raising, superhero!
Thank you,
Ashlee
My friend, Christina, a single mom of four who is juggling back-to-school, going to school herself and working. I am in awe of her.
My friend, Sarah, who discovered a tumor on her 14-month-old son on Monday last week, which is cancer. The baby had his kidney removed on Thursday and will begin chemotherapy soon.
Myself, who is struggling to keep it all together and am far too hard on myself and am not really living in the moment because I am so filled with worry.
And you. Thank you. Your posts inspire me daily.
Love.
My daughter needs that cape! She is a first time mom to my beautiful blue-eyes grandson who at 19 mos. is so big for her petite frame to carry. Yet, she carries him well. She mothers him with all that she has and strives to be not only good, but godly. She makes me proud of the woman she has become. She needs this cape because her days, while full of her son, stretch long into nights spent studying to finish her degree. She needs this cape to show her that although she feels very unlike a super hero – in her son’s eyes she is his world. But most of all , she needs this cape to remind her that although her husband has decided after 7 years of doing life together that he no longer wants to be married, she is not worthless. She needs a reminder that although she feels as if she has been tossed aside with the day’s trash, and that she has no value that she IS MIGHTY. And last, she needs to know that although she has had to leave her dream of being a SAHM to provide for herself and her son, that God will honor her time with him and that He thinks she is a hero!
I know a mom who could use a superhero cape today…what mom couldn’t?? My friend and co-worker is currently on her maternity leave with her 2.5 year old son and 4.5 month old baby boy. Like so many of us she is wrestling sleep deprivation, emotional exhaustion, and feeling like she just isn’t coping as well as she could be:( The endless needs of everyone else in the home seem to be wearing on her and she is feeling down about not having the required patience to meet everyone’s demands. I think she deserves a little reminder of how amazing she is and how incredibly tiring, difficult, yet still perfectly amazing it is to be a mom…
Thank you.
My sweet cousin, who never birthed children, but is raising her brother’s 2 youngest. SHe isn’t doing it because he and his wife died or is sick but simply because they don’t want to do it anymore! She has lost her own mother since taking these 2. She needs this cape!!
Hi…I have a friend who is in need of the super hero cape. She is a teacher who has a 4 yo son and a 7 yo daughter. Last march…after several trips to the doctor her world came crashing down her daughter was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, it is in her leg. Her family lives about 600 miles away in Leveland, TX…Taylor and her mom came to live here in Pealand,TX, to seek treatment at MD Anderson. Her family is apart because of this, her husband is in Leveland part of the time working and her son goes back and forth…and she and her daughter remain in Pearland for treatments. It is a 52 week treatment plan…. And it is working…Taylor finished radiation and she will continue chemo until march of 2014…the cancer is gone in her lymph nodes and the tumor is shrinking. Hopefully after this current 5 day admission for chemo they will be able to go home for a week. My friend is an amazing mom…balancing everything. She carries a calendar that is packed full with dr appts…chemo, radiation…she keeps it all straight…even when she is highly stressed…she keeps it together. We just met her 2 months ago when we moved here from Ohio…I am amazed at her strength and belief in god, also the support from her church. So, even if she does not get the cape…she is still a super hero!! By the way…their Facebook site is. Taylor”TayTay”Kucel. It is open site and any prayers are always welcomed!
She was my youth pastor’s wife. They “adopted” me as one of their own while I was in college. She has taken me through engagement, marriage, the birthing of 4 babies, and trying to figure it all out after they come out. She has struggled to raise her own 3 lately, while they are teenagers and want to do life their way. She used to joke about being “Super-mom!” as she stood on one leg and stretched her arms out like Superman. The thing is…she really is Supermom.
Thank you so much for this wonderful piece of inspiration. I’m also an “ex” South African mum with a beautiful son who was born on a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean last year (the Kingdom of Tonga).
I always thought having children and raising a family was so much easier than holding down a full time job with 16 hour work days – how wrong was I!
I hope to one day be able to be worthy of my own mommy superhero cape but for today I’ll settle for a full night’s sleep, getting through the house work and keeping my wits about me when the kitchen drawers are opened by tiny little fingers exploring in all the places he shouldn’t really be!
My college mentor was the first mother I saw who truly delighted in her children…she actually enjoyed them and they were far more than the burden I perceived to be to my mom.
My mom. I’ve become a mom while my own mom just turned 53 and still raising four out of her seven children! So days her crazy life overwhelms me and I’ve had many opinions about it all…BUT regardless she’s a super hero to not only her own babies but to many troubled kids that have come into her life. She’s given them a place to stay, has challenged them spiritually and led them right back to their Heavenly Father. She’s tired, she’s worn out but I know that when she takes the time to lay it all back down at Jesus feet after trying to do it on her own, again, she is filled with joy and strength again and his grace gives her the strength she needs!
My friend Erin is a super mom. She cares for her beautiful nine-month-old Nora with every ounce of energy she has. She had a traumatic birth and difficult recovery, a hard time with nursing and struggles over little N’s fussiness. Yet she stuck with it and embraced motherhood with verve. She doesn’t always get the applause she deserves. After all, motherhood is often a thankless job. But I appreciate the loving work she puts into raising her daughter. What’s more, I am grateful that she has guided me as I begin my own path in motherhood with my daughter, who is now 7 weeks old.
A big cheers to all the incredible mamas out there!
My sweet friend Ronda has had to watch her 15 year old daughter go through not one but two heart surgeries in the last 14 months. She’s had to watch her tiny daughter blow up with extra weight due to the medications she’s on and keep telling her that she’s beautiful. She’s watched her daughter’s personality change and try to tell her that she’s still in there somewhere. And then there have been the heart wrenching relapses and hospital stays and Mayo clinics and all of that, too. She has turned her face toward the Lord and stood strong through all of it. She is my superhero…
I loved this. I am a Grandmother now and loving it. But I completely understood each and every part of this. I’m so glad you wrote it, I can’t write like you but I get it. I believe the world we live in has, for the most part, forgotten what Mothering really is. I’ve “mothered” for more than 40 years now and getting to “grandmother” is even better. But it’s not about being a friend or occuping a space in a home or even having that title. It’s a wonderful, extremely important occupation. Perhaps the most important one. Thank you for writing such a wonderful blog.
You always make me cry. :) Happy birthday, sweet friend. Know that your mamma is smiling down on you with a beautiful cape of her own.
A friend of mine named Brooke needs a super hero cape to remind her daily she is a super hero for just moving forward. In July her husband was driving home on his motorcycle and was hit by a drunk driver. Thankfully he survived but has severe damage to one leg. He’s had countless surgeries and endured so much pain. His wife Brooke has been a super hero by his side, making the hour long commute to be at the hospital as much as possible while still being an amazing mom to her three precious daughters, balancing it all the best she can. She is nearly overwhelmed at times with the bills, doctors, unknowns and having her heart pulled in so many directions. Next week her little ones head back to school (including a “first day of preschool”) marking the end of their summer with their Dad still not home to share the moment. I know Brooke will handle the moment with grace, tears, smiles and lots of pictures, but a cape might just brighten her day and let her know she’ll make it through.
I would give it to my sweet friend Jill, who is raising up an incredible child suffering with sensory processing disorder. She is the most incredible Mama I know for the patience and love she shows when it is HARD on a daily basis!!
So beautifully written. Somehow you find the words that describe what’s in my heart (that I never would have even known was there) and put it on the page. I’ve mothered for over 30 years. I think if I ever had a Superman cape I must have lost it years ago. My youngest daughter is now expecting my first grandchild. I look at her and think of how much more of what I did or tried to do will make sense when she holds her child in her arms. Thanks you for writing, I always love reading it.
Happy Belated Birthday! Thank you for your wonderful post! My best friend is a super mom, wife, daughter, daughter in law, aunt, employee and most importantly to me a role mom model! She works 50-60 hours a week, has two sweet girls at home and a loving husband! She burns her candle at both ends but always makes time to check in on me.
One of the main reasons I would like to nominate her for this super cape is…. See on February 1st my life was turned upside down- my 32 year old cousin and my 56 year old father in law both died on that horrible winter day. My best friend was there for me when I didn’t even know I needed her- she took care of me, my family and my child (her god daughter) she was there for each one of us and her own family and work too! – I will never be able to repay her for her encouragement and support during the hardest days of my life..
Lisa Jo I am so blessed to have found your blog-you make my heart happy!
happy birthday! love your writings! I read each submission.. and wow.. so many deserving moms.. .and how many others that we don’t know about…. I’d nominate my momma, whom left the comforts of home and moved to another country at only 18 yrs old to be both military wife and new mom – to me. My father was murdered when I was 8 and sis was 2.. and momma raised us the best she could, in a Christian home with manners, morals, and faith to move mountains… and now that I’m a mom, I can attest… momma raised us good considering she was a single mom in the 80s and 90s. In the midst of that, my sister was diagnosed with a terminal, incurable disease. Momma stayed strong. And although all the moms mentioned above are so deserving.. I must admit, that #1 comment, Jill’s aunt… well that one takes my breath away, brings tears to my eyes, and puts pain in my heart. She is truly a strong woman. Whether she gets the cape or not, it sounds like she is surviving as only a superhero mom can. One day at a time.
I have a friend whose name is Rebecca. She is a mother to four beautiful kids ages 1-9. She is one of the most patient people I know. She volunteers at our church’s private school as a kindergarten teacher (that takes patience). Her husband is very sick with an injury to his back that might need surgery (again) and they are in a battle of sorts with their neighbors (for trying to harm their children). Even through all of this she is still kind to her neighbors and loving and patient with her students and her own children. She is a supermom!
Loved your post. Yes all mothers are superheros! Thank you for pointing it out!
Can a father don your cape, too? I spend my days watching my boys dress up like Captain America, the Hulk and Iron Man, and yet I typically feel very little super powers at my disposal. Good to know that others understand the enormity of the task before us, although one wry smile from my boys is often more than enough to make me puff out my chest in true Clark Kent fashion.
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