Three hours of steaming. For what?

Tamales, hot, spicy, tender. Devoured in five minutes, ten if eaten slowly.

And isn’t motherhood just like that?

dishes to wash {one is never really caught up},
floors to mop,
laundry breeding piles on its own,

milk, white and creamy, spilled every which way,

the sickness and worry, driving here, there, everywhere

your heart bleeding open

life so fragile you feel as is you’ll be blown away

and then

then

you are blown away

by this

and this

and this

small five minutes, ten minutes, fleeting minutes of

pure joy,

tender mercies of grace.

“[Grace is] a word that occurs frequently in the New Testament, especially in the writings of Paul. The main idea of the word is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ. It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by his atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life. It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.”

enabling power,

fuel for the soul,

water to fill my cup.

Motherhood is just like this.

Dedicated to my own dear mother whom I can never repay and still don’t fully appreciate.

I love you, Mom!