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May 08, 2010

Mothers Day

While listening to a lecture in home economics class in ninth grade, her hand stopped writing the notes preparing for the test. She suddenly wrote a name. A girl's name. She did not know anyone with that name. But her heart stopped two beats when she saw the name written on her note pad. She whispered to the girl sitting next to her "This is the name of the little girl I will have some day."

From that day on, she knew positively she would some day be a mother and her first child would be a girl. She already had the name ready!

A few years later when plans were being made for her to marry, she made sure to inform her husband to be that their first child would be a girl and she told him the name of the daughter. Because they were young and they had no idea how long before they would begin a family, he had a difficult time picturing a child, any child, they may have. But he was very content with the name and would be happy if his daughter had that name.

When they knew they were expecting a child she dyed her hair pink and informed all family and friends that the child was a girl. There was no test by the doctor. The color scheme for the baby's room was for a girl. One and a half years after they married their daughter was born. Within hours after the birth the new mother who was nineteen years old, proclaimed "I am a mother now". Her husband and family said "yes, you are." But she said again and again "I am a MOTHER now". For her, this was of such importance it should be announced throughout the city. She knew exactly the kind of mother she wanted to be. She wanted to love her daughter unconditionally, and protect her from harm, and give her freedom to be her own person. She had no idea of the mistakes she would make and the times she would disappoint her daughter but she knew without a single doubt: She loved that child. She was a mother now.

Photo "protecting hands" found on google.

68 comments:

Gappy said...

That really captured for me the feeling of what it is to be a young mother expecting her first child.

I was all excited like christmas, but really had no idea how hard it was going to be sometimes.

Beautiful.

Bernie said...

I knew when I was 15 that I would marry and have a baby boy and I too named him right there and then. When he was born I gave him that name and to this day it is one of my favorites. Happy Mothers Day my friend........:-) Hugs

Ms. A said...

Sweet post, Happy Mothers Day!

Unknown said...

:) Happy Mother's Day.

Unknown said...

:) Happy Mother's Day (again)

Shrinky said...

I loved this recollection, it is so fresh on the page, and simply beautiful (smile).

I was 30 when my first child came along, three others arrived rapidly after him (and I had no excuse, as I have two girls and two boys)! I always knew I would be a mother one day, but I had no idea of what a roller coaster ride it would prove to be..

Unknown said...

Wow. That's a beautifully written story. It was a great read.
I am your newest follower!:)

Have a great day.

DJan said...

I've been contemplating what to write for Mother's Day, and I really appreciate this lovely story. It has inspired me to write from my heart's desire for motherhood.

Maude Lynn said...

That's it exactly.

Brian Miller said...

beautiful...we all make those mistaes you know...as we grow together with our child. i hope you have a marvelous mothers day!

Momma Fargo said...

Sweet pic and love the post! Happy Mother's Day!

Cheryl Kohan said...

That is just beautiful. I've got chills running up my spine. Thank you for this lovely tribute. Have a wonderful Mother's Day.

LL Cool Joe said...

These are feelings I can't relate to from any perspective really, as I was given away by my birth mother.

Sounds like you are a wonderful mother. :)

Anonymous said...

How poignant those eager and early thoughts and emotions are. As moms it is all we have, really, to get through the years: just boundless unconditional love for our babies. Lovely post. Happy Mother's Day to you!!

Jeanie said...

I am touched by the certainty that the little girl would be loved in the way she deserved to be. Beautiful story.

Cindy said...

You are such a wonderful soul, I loved your post, Have a wonderful weekend, The name I had picked out was Morgan...I can use it backwards in a story one day. hugs.

Unknown said...

have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Shanel said...

I was hesitant about reading this because I didn't want to get sad... but I read it... and love it... very beautiful Technobabe:)

Kazzy said...

You nailed it. I loved those first days of knowing I was pregnant with the first, and then actually having him in my arms. So cool!

Anonymous said...

Hi Happy Mother's Day! I'm So-and-so. I just stumbled onto your site - very nice :) I like the poetry.

I'm at:

http://stark-raving-sober.blogspot.com

and would love it if you could stop by.

So-and-so

Ina in Alaska said...

Happy Mother's Day!! As for me, I clearly knew from age 14 onward that motherhood was not my cup of tea... then I married a widower who came with 5 children ages 3-12 when we married.... Quite frankly, it went fine but in my heart of hearts my heart I was never into motherhood. My hat is off to all Moms, it is grueling and thankless charity work!!! xoxoxo

Sassy Pants Freckle Face said...

WONDER~Full In so many ways,.. but what was the name?

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Just like God - He knew you before you were born.....

Casey Freeland said...

That's a cool story but I was hoping to get the name at the end there. :)

Casey

Robert the Skeptic said...

My step-daughter as a teenager loved the name Lydia. When she was married she said she would name her daughter Lydia, if she had one. When she became pregnant, she got books of baby names and scoured and researched and analyzed. The rest of the family all chuckled, we all knew that, in spite of all her research, she would name her daughter Lydia. Still she agonized for months and months what to name her daughter when she was born, she told everyone she was still undecided when she went into labor. When we went to see our new granddaughter in the hospital, we asked Amy what she was going to name our grandchild. "Lydia, of course".

Everyday Goddess said...

I LOVE this!

Happy Mother's Day to you!

Kristina P. said...

Once again, so lovely and heartfelt.

Happy Mother's Day!

Pietro Brosio said...

I like this post, Happy Mothers Day!
Have a nice Sunday :-)

Gary's third pottery blog said...

OH!

Jeni said...

Loved this piece! As a young girl, I too also dreamed of being a mother some day. As one who was an only child, I also dreamed that I would have lots and lots of children too. At several junctures, I actually thought it would be so cool to have oh, like at least a dozen children and I had names for each of those babies too. As I got a little older, I lowered those expectations and when I actually had children, fortunately -for my sanity and the safety too of what children would have been involved -stopped with three offspring -two girls and one boy! I loved each of them as they arrived but over the years I rarely had the time (or finances) available to provide for many of the things they needed, certainly not for all they wanted but it was enough that we got by, we survived.
When my grandchildren came along though, that's when I really turned into what I wished I could have been, what I could have done with my own kids -which was simply just to be there, to have time to sit and cuddle them with no regard for how long I spent doing that either. It's been a long ride, sometimes scary, sometimes really difficult but it's been the best damned roller-coaster I've ever been on all the same!
(Oh and none of my kids was named any of the names I thought I would choose when I was a child for my future children! My son -who was supposed to have been named David became Clayton and my girls -I don't even remember some of the girls names I liked but I know Carrie and Amanda were not on that way-back list! LOL)

Bill Lisleman said...

have a great Mother's Day.

Opaque said...

You've captured the feel so well.

Ronda Laveen said...

Beautiful touching post. I love how you just "knew" she was a girl and died your hair pink.

Happy Mother's Day

Unknown said...

Wow.
Poignant.
Beautiful.
Being a mother is an honor beyond all belief.
Such a perfect post.
Thank you.

Joanna Jenkins said...

That is a perfect Mother's Day story and a wonderful memory to pass on to a daughter.
Happy Mother's Day Techno!
Cheers,
jj

Cheryl said...

I think being a mother is one of the hardest jobs ever but also the most rewarding, joyful, loving one as well. I felt the love through your post.

Jason, as himself said...

Autobiographical, I assume? Very sweet...

Mrs4444 said...

And she named her "TechnoBabe?" heehee

Sweet post. Happy Mothers Day :)

Unknown said...

Happy Mother's Day,my friend!
You look BEAUTIFUL, then and NOW!
You are such a wonderful friend and MOTHER!
May this Mother's Day be one of the best with more to come in years!
YOU ROCK, MOMMY!
hugs
shakira

surjit singh said...

A beautiful touching post. Thanks for sharing.
Happy Mother's Day.
God bless.

laughingwolf said...

excellent wee tale...

methinks you meant 'dying' the hair pink ;)

Enchanted Oak said...

I so wanted to hear the name. Happy Mother's Day.

Stacy Uncorked said...

When I found out I was pregnant - and was already 5-1/2 months along (which was way past the previous heartbreaks) - I was in awe. And those exact same words were spoken by me when I held my beautiful little baby in my arms for the first time. And still, I was in awe. Still am. ;) Beautiful words, Techno!

Happy Mother's Day, my friend! :)

Kathy M. said...

This is a really lovely post. I so get this mother's feelings. That time in the beginning when we are so determined to get it right. I imagine there are some exceptions, but I can think of few things so universal. I know I felt that way, and I believe my mother did, too.

I love the story about the name, and dying her hair pink. Thank you.

Have a peaceful day, Sis. With love.

Anne H said...

Perfectly awesome!
The "pregnant pause" gives it all away!

Liz Mays said...

A dream fulfilled...I love it.

Happy Mother's Day!

heartinsanfrancisco said...

Happy Mother's Day, Babe!

I think this is the story of your mother and your birth, not of your own motherhood. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful gift on this day.

Lola Sharp said...

Oh how I loved this!
Happy Mother's Day, my friend!!!

I knew my first (and only) child would be a daughter...and she was (is).
At 15 I was sure I would NEVER have children.
But, in my mid twenties I fell in a love and got married to a great guy. I finally realized I did want to have a chid. A daughter.

I had such an awful mother, I smugly thought I would do everything right, I'd be the perfect mother, and not put my daughter through what I went through.
I can honestly say that I've done my best (so far--she's 14) and the first 12 years were a joy. Every second. As she hit the teen years and PMS, well, things are a lot more dramatic. I find I am making mistakes now. And the guilt and worry that I'm not navigating her teen years with enough patience or discipline or whatever the magical GPS route to get her happily to adulthood. Dude, there are days that I wonder how I will tolerate--survive-- 4 more years of eye rolls and back talk and drama tears, until I send her to college. And just when I want to rip the headphones out of her snarky ears, she'll give me a non-sarcastic smile and the first hug in weeks and I melt.

Being a mother is hard, and beautiful.
Happy Mother's Day.

Love,
Lola

Anonymous said...

Happy Mother's Day my friend. I hope you are having a wonderful day today.

Magyar said...

Just a lovely story!
__Today, in looking back, I see some of the mistakes my mother made... but I'd not change one of them. Nor the mistakes I didn't see... . The humanism of grand motherhood... so different than fatherhood!
__I wish you all, a happy Mothers Day. _m

Covnitkepr1 said...

I’ve enjoyed looking over your blog. I came across it through another blog I follow, and I’m glad I did. I am now a follower of yours as well. Feel free to look over my blog and perhaps become one as well.

Sniffles and Smiles said...

Beautiful! You have captured this perfectly! And such IS the love we have for our children...and love makes up for so much of our imperfections! A wonderful mother's day post! Hope your day was as special as you are ~Janine XO

Sabi Sunshine said...

Happy Mother's Day to you! Enjoy your day with full of happiness and joy! Love Sabi

Hilary said...

So beautiful how you captured the feelings in words. So real. I had the same certainty that I'd be having daughters. Their names are Jeffrey and Alexander. Some of us were wrong. ;) Hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day.

MikeWJ at Too Many Mornings said...

I have to ask: Is this autobiographical? It's quite beautiful, and a little haunting. Well done!

jozien said...

This is so beautiful.
I thaught i would have a daughter, but a boy came out:) Motherhood was always awkward to me, i was very happy the first time, my son called me jozien. So our story is different, but really also the same. And the verses above, i did all of them,(except the last two. not yet i guess :)
very happily, i like it how you say, 'you're welcome' that's what i say to my son after mother's day.

TheUndertaker said...

Love that pic, very moving. Happy mothers day to you!
I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was having a girl too. So when I woke up from the general anesthetic of the c-section and they told me I had a son, I said, "I don't have a son!" Lol, now I have two

Syd said...

There must be that sixth sense in some people about their children. I have a sixth sense but not about children. Great story.

imbeingheldhostage said...

That was lovely! Very POTW deserving. I am a mother of five and yet I was transported to the delivery when I became a mother.

Sueann said...

What a beautiful declaration! I am a MOTHER!! Well written!
Congrats on your POTW
Hugs
SueAnn

Daryl said...

Congrats on the POTW mention from Hilary .. you have a great blog!

Joanna Jenkins said...

Congratulations on your POTW-- It's well deserved!
xo
jj

Dianne said...

beautiful!
congrats on POTW

blunoz said...

Great story. Congrats on Post of the Week!

Kelly H-Y said...

Beautifully written ... such maturity for a 19-year old.

terri said...

I remember that feeling of wanting to tell the world, "I am a MOTHER now!"

What a great feeling.

Julie said...

Hello again, Technobabe. You sometimes make me laugh. You sometimes make me cry. You always make me glad I dropped in. This is one of the "misty eyed" beautiful ones. Thank you very much!

Eileen said...

Nice post!
I thought for sure I'd be having a girl first. We married young too, and I was just twenty when my first SON was born! I had the name Annie Laurie all picked out for him. Well, God had other plans, because after Brian, our SON Erik came along, and then a few years later we did have a daughter and then another, and then another son. I never did use the name 'Annie Laurie'.