What it's like to wake up on your birthday-that you forgot twice-when you're a mom and discovering your purpose.
Good morning! It's 9:00 am, the morning of my 26th birthday, and so much has happened.
Opening my eyes this morning, I didn't think as I have so often in the past with giddy excitement "Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, birthday, birthday, birthday! Me! Me! Me!" or something to that effect. I woke up, thinking how annoyed I was that my daughter was screaming in contempt of something her older brother was doing in the room next door. My newborn son (well, 11 weeks old) was next to me kicking me in my chest (bare chest) since he snuck into the bed during the night to nurse. He was, of course, kicking in his sleep so he got a free pass-this time.
Then my husband comes in, leans over to kiss my forehead before heading off to work, and says "Happy Birthday." What??? Wow. I forgot. Again. He had told me "Happy Birthday" at midnight just before bed last night, and again I exclaimed, "Oh wow. I forgot again!." I don't have a great memory. I tend to live just for the day and get through the best I can in this season of my life.
So anywhoo, back to this morning. My son immediately jumped on the bed asking incessantly for Quaker Oatmeal Squares. My daughter has a shower curtain ring in her mouth, polishing it. I lift up my newborn in joy to see his beautiful smile, and of course a fountain of spit-up rains down on my face, running down the INSIDE of my shirt, creeping towards my ear, and staining my hair. My oldest exclaims covering his nose, "Ewww! It smells really bad." Guess I can't postpone my shower today. My feet ache, and I can hear every joint in my body creaking as I swing myself out of bed. Ok, maybe I'm imagining every joint creaking, but when you have hypothyroidism and struggle with muscle aches and weakness and chronic fatigue every every freakin' pregnancy, well that's the joys of your morning! Not that I'm complaining. But I think another valid reason I forgot my birthday upon waking.
Not that it's important, my birthday and all. It's a great reminder that 26 years ago, my mom expelled me from her tummy into this cold world and here I am today, still kicking it! I myself, however, am important. I know every day of my life that I'm needed, wanted, and important to God and to my family and friends and those I work with. That's why it's ok not to get the gifts, not to get showered with attention, not to get spoiled (although I do enjoy all of these things.) But I've conditioned myself to celebrate the milestones that have brought me to this point. At 26, I have three beautiful amazing kids, a dedicated and loving husband, adequate schooling to propel me towards my goals, and a step closer to fulfilling my purpose. As a mom, it is never all about you. You serve your children. As a wife, you can't do everything you want to do. You must learn to serve and honor your husband. Your job as an individual becomes to humble yourself and serve others just as Christ served the people through healing them, ministering to them, feeding them, protecting them, and washing His disciples' feet. And do I have to mention the sacrifice part?????? I know you get it :)
So, again, I'm totally ok with the day I've started out with. I feel so blessed to get yet another day, birthday or not, with my loved ones. My son asked if I was going to have "birthday cake." I told him I could care less about the birthday cake as long as they were with me. Although it might be nice to have brownies?
Thank you God, for blessing me to see another day and for using my birthday to remind me just how far I've come, but nudging me not to settle for that and to keep moving forward in your purpose for me.
Monica Padula
8-23-1986 to present
Opening my eyes this morning, I didn't think as I have so often in the past with giddy excitement "Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, birthday, birthday, birthday! Me! Me! Me!" or something to that effect. I woke up, thinking how annoyed I was that my daughter was screaming in contempt of something her older brother was doing in the room next door. My newborn son (well, 11 weeks old) was next to me kicking me in my chest (bare chest) since he snuck into the bed during the night to nurse. He was, of course, kicking in his sleep so he got a free pass-this time.
Then my husband comes in, leans over to kiss my forehead before heading off to work, and says "Happy Birthday." What??? Wow. I forgot. Again. He had told me "Happy Birthday" at midnight just before bed last night, and again I exclaimed, "Oh wow. I forgot again!." I don't have a great memory. I tend to live just for the day and get through the best I can in this season of my life.
So anywhoo, back to this morning. My son immediately jumped on the bed asking incessantly for Quaker Oatmeal Squares. My daughter has a shower curtain ring in her mouth, polishing it. I lift up my newborn in joy to see his beautiful smile, and of course a fountain of spit-up rains down on my face, running down the INSIDE of my shirt, creeping towards my ear, and staining my hair. My oldest exclaims covering his nose, "Ewww! It smells really bad." Guess I can't postpone my shower today. My feet ache, and I can hear every joint in my body creaking as I swing myself out of bed. Ok, maybe I'm imagining every joint creaking, but when you have hypothyroidism and struggle with muscle aches and weakness and chronic fatigue every every freakin' pregnancy, well that's the joys of your morning! Not that I'm complaining. But I think another valid reason I forgot my birthday upon waking.
Not that it's important, my birthday and all. It's a great reminder that 26 years ago, my mom expelled me from her tummy into this cold world and here I am today, still kicking it! I myself, however, am important. I know every day of my life that I'm needed, wanted, and important to God and to my family and friends and those I work with. That's why it's ok not to get the gifts, not to get showered with attention, not to get spoiled (although I do enjoy all of these things.) But I've conditioned myself to celebrate the milestones that have brought me to this point. At 26, I have three beautiful amazing kids, a dedicated and loving husband, adequate schooling to propel me towards my goals, and a step closer to fulfilling my purpose. As a mom, it is never all about you. You serve your children. As a wife, you can't do everything you want to do. You must learn to serve and honor your husband. Your job as an individual becomes to humble yourself and serve others just as Christ served the people through healing them, ministering to them, feeding them, protecting them, and washing His disciples' feet. And do I have to mention the sacrifice part?????? I know you get it :)
So, again, I'm totally ok with the day I've started out with. I feel so blessed to get yet another day, birthday or not, with my loved ones. My son asked if I was going to have "birthday cake." I told him I could care less about the birthday cake as long as they were with me. Although it might be nice to have brownies?
Thank you God, for blessing me to see another day and for using my birthday to remind me just how far I've come, but nudging me not to settle for that and to keep moving forward in your purpose for me.
Monica Padula
8-23-1986 to present
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