The Beautiful Stress

I was flipping channels tonight and came across of one my most favorite scenes in one of my least favorite movies.  The scene where  Miranda & Charlotte talk about motherhood in "Sex & the City 2" seems to resonate with me.  After watching it, one fact became crystal clear...

Motherhood is hard.

Think about all the times we've made our moms crazy with the littlest things, and how the big things made them even crazier.  Even now, when we think we have it all together one moment and it all crashes down the next.  As much as we want to control our day there is always that wild card named Life.  

It happens...

Somehow, that's the beauty of motherhood.  No matter where we are in this life's journey, in this exclusive sorority we all have something in common.  We stress out about our kids.  What has the potential of diversity among us is what causes the stress in the first place.  Of course, we stress out about our children's health, education, future...you know, the basics.  But then, there are mothers who are dealing with children with unique issues.  Some big. Some small.

The stress is, in a "strange but true" way, is the mark of motherhood.  We want our children to be happy, blessed   and prosperous.  And in many, if not most, cases, a certain amount of stress is a given.  From the fruits of that stress come the victories.  That first word.  Those first steps.  The first day of school.  Graduation.  A first job.  A first love.  Marriage and that first grandchild.  It goes on and on...as long as it equates to our children's happiness.

It doesn't matter where a person goes in life, if they are happy with where they are, there is a mother who loved enough and cared enough to stress out about them.  Through the hills and valleys, we are there to shape the masterpiece and pick up the pieces if it is dropped.  Our perseverance is glue that put those pieces back together.  Our hope proudly puts the masterpiece back on display.  

So, here's to the beautiful stress.  It's what makes us go the extra mile for the trip to the zoo work, even if you are dead on your feet. It makes us endure the pain of our child's broken heart after a friend let's them down.  The beautiful stress makes us concede to the prom dress we hate.  It makes us sacrifice our want of that new trinket or bauble so our child can visit a museum.  It makes us do want we have to do in order to give our children the life they deserve. 

It's what we do...and we do it beautifully.