Every once in a while, a mother gets a little reward for all of the hard work she does in rearing her children. One of those came yesterday for me.
Michael had a Stake Scout "Pow Wow" to work on the Duty to God program. They were able to meet with their leaders and discuss the program, set goals and make plans to carry out some of the requirements, and pass off other requirements on the spot. Last Sunday, our home teacher gave a lesson geared towards the boys, all about the scouting program and how important it was to participate. The boys seemed very motivated by the lesson, and Michael showed enthusiasm about attending this Pow Wow....until Saturday morning. I couldn't get him up, he was grumpy and didn't want to go. It was a major battle to get him there. But I did.
He didn't say much when I picked him up, but later in the day he began talking about some of what he did. At one point he said, "Mom, they made us get up and say our name, what ward we are in, and who our hero is. I said my hero is my brother, Nicholas". Now, all of you mom's out there know exactly what that did to me...but I held it in and asked him why he chose Nicholas. He said, "Because he is a great brother and my best friend".
Is that not the payoff of a lifetime? I fall in love with my kids more and more every day. The more they grow up, the more I panic at the thought of them changing, and getting closer to the time they will leave home. But I also watch in bewildered awe at these creatures I created, wondering how they are becoming such wonderful, extraordinary people. Michael surprises me daily with his growth, maturity and sensitivity. He truly is becoming a young man, showing so much responsibility and thoughtfulness and leadership. He is increasingly beginning to settle into the role of a priesthood holder in our home, and the eldest child, helping to teach and lead his siblings. He's my hero.
In fact, all of my kids are my heroes. I think they are amazing. Nicholas's tender spirit and extraordinary capacity to love, Emily's talent, open heart and sincerity, and Katie's infectious happiness and her tender, pure love - it's all so wonderful. I think I will go hug my kids now!
2 comments:
Awesome glimpse into Michael's heart - thanks for sharing! I miss each one of them so much. Give them all hugs and hellos for me!
That's what I call hitting the grandmother lotto! All I know is, whatever a mother feels, you can instantly magnify that by a factor of ten, and then you might have a glimpse of a grandmother's love. But I am humble enough to know the credit goes to the parents, and the gratitude goes to the Lord! Nine of the most awesome spirits are "mine". Jammie
Post a Comment