Thank you to the Mothers!

Happy Mothers Day to all of the amazing Mothers out there! Happy Mothers Day to all of the other Momma Bears who work so hard to protect their children.  Happy Mothers Day to my Mom.

I have been blessed to have been surrounded by many amazing mothers throughout my lifetime.  Before I was born, a woman chose to be a mother to my mom.  She took in an orphaned, rebellious young teen and made her her daughter. She extended her family to include my mother and therefore gave me the most amazing family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins that I could have asked for.  We have laughed, grumbled, cried and loved together. They have helped to shape the woman that I have become and I am so blessed to call them family.

I was lucky to have two grandmothers.  This other woman had a son who was to be my father. She was strong and beautiful.  She was loving and taught me so many things.  These two women were opposite in so many ways but similar in others.  They both loved me.  They both taught me about love, commitment to family and showed me the strength of a mother's love.

Then there is my mom...she is a complex woman.  She is caring and strong with a river of compassion and love that runs deeply through everything she does and all that she is.  She was not physically there when my sons were born.  She was not tin the same province when my youngest son was diagnosed with diabetes but she was there with support through every event in my life. She didn't know any more about diabetes than I did when my son was diagnosed but she was willing to learn.  When my youngest wanted to stay with her for a week, she was prepared to do all it took to keep him as safe as he was when he was with me.  She learned about testing, carb counts, weighing food, boluses and set her alarm to test him through the night. My son got to experience life as a normal child would-- spending a week away with his grandparents. It was no big deal...but it was a huge deal for me.

I am blessed that my mom is still here. She will be joining us as we celebrate my oldest son's graduation from high school next week. She is still there when times are good or frustrating and remains my biggest cheering section for all things diabetes and more.  She pushes me to be my best and helps me to get there. She believes in me like no one else...but I guess that's what mothers do.

Being a mother is a challenge.  Finding the balance between guiding, pushing, and standing back is never easy.  A mother's love is always there no matter what.  As many have said, never come between a Momma Bear and her cub.  I know I have lived that motto with my own children and so have many others.

I have been truly blessed to have been surrounded by so many amazing mothers.  Last year I told you of just a few, the amazing Mothers of children with diabetes who have changed my world, inspired, encouraged me, and been there for me through diabetes issues and more. 

There is the mother who has become my very best friend, standing beside me, listening to me--not always understanding but always there to support me.  

My "other" mother who took me into her family, loved me and made me one of her own.  She has been there to help through the down times and celebrate the up times. 

I have been blessed (I know I have said this a lot in this post but its true!). There have been so many amazing women have come into my life--so many of them were mothers themselves.  All of them sharing themselves with me.  All of them to be celebrated and thanked for helping to make me the person I am...hopefully a mother that makes my own boys proud!

Happy Mothers Day to all of you!!! And thank you for being you! xoxo