I don’t know about you, but the best thing that my family could do for me on Mother’s Day would be to take care of all the meals and the clean up, so I did not have to think about food and who is eating what for an entire day! Don’t get me wrong, I love to cook and bake, but when it becomes a daily “have to” it really has a way of losing its charm for me.
What about you? What would YOU like to do for Mother’s Day, or what would you like for your family to do for YOU? Have you even thought about it? Would you even know what to pick or what you enjoy doing if someone asked you? It is so easy for us moms to get lost in the season of motherhood. We give and give, until we are exhausted. My family is my greatest blessing, I love them with everything in me and I LOVE doing things for them and taking care of them the way only a mom could. But that has come with a cost for me personally.
Over the past four years there is so much of who I was that has been lost or maybe just put on the back burner. My focus has been on my family and taking care of my son Charlie who we waited so long for. My husband and I have recently started really focusing on trying to do some intentional date nights, but when it would come time for us to decide what to do, I couldn’t think of a thing that I enjoyed… it’s like I couldn’t remember the woman I was before becoming a mom and what she liked to do.
Maybe this Mother’s Day, you can take a moment to think back on the woman you were before becoming “Mom.” What did she love? What were her dreams? It may take a while to even come up with one thing, I know it did for me. I would challenge you to do that thing, whatever it is just for you, to celebrate you, Mom! I recently did this for myself and it was the best experience. Just thinking of that one thing and actually DOING it sparked a passion in me that I haven’t had for years. And do you know what, It actually made me a better wife and mom because I took a little time and remembered me, and who I am and who God made me to be. I don’t know what this looks like for you, but I do know it will be amazing if you just give yourself permission to dream again. Happy Mother’s Day Mama.
Ashley McClain is a Wife to Bobby, Mom to Charlie, General Manager of CTN-WHTN Nashville and Host of – Moments for Moms aired nationally on the Christian Television Network. Currently surviving on Grace and Coffee… lots and lots of Coffee.
