Stuff Moms Know

 In honor of moms everywhere on this Mother's Day, I thought I’d post this little reminder of why you really need to hug that special lady in your life today – or call, or get her some chocolates, or buy her a really nice car (if you’re into that sort of thing). 

When you’re little, innocent, and dirty all the time, your mom knows:

When you’ve been eating sugar straight from the container.

When you’ve peed your pants and tried to hide them where she wouldn’t find them.

When you need a nap.

How to get the grass stains out of every article of clothing you own.

How to make macaroni and cheese for lunch.

How to clean up all your messes.

How to make holidays awesome.

What to do when you’re sick or hurt.

How to make really awesome cushion forts.

When you’ve hit your brother, even though you won't fess up.

That you’re just learning, and it’s okay to make mistakes.

When you’re a sneaky, ornery teenager, your mom knows:

When you’ve lied about why you missed curfew.

Where you’ve been when you lied about why you missed curfew.

What you were doing when you lied about why you missed curfew.

When you’ve climbed through a window to get into the house after you missed curfew.

If you have a crush on someone.

When you need a nap.

How to bake the best birthday cake, even though you don’t say “thank you.”

You can do well in school if you’d just stop worrying about everyone else’s opinions of you and just consider hers.

How to keep from jumping off a cliff when you are “acting out.”

That you know better.

When your friends are not a good influence.

Why boys act like jerks in front of their friends.

When you’re a know-it-all adult, your mom knows:

What you’re going through.

How hard and unfair life can be.

When to give you advice, even though you’re too stubborn to ask.

What to do when your own kids are testing your limits.

How to cook dinner for your whole family so you don’t have to for a night.

When you need a nap.

When to stand back and let you learn through your own experiences.

Why you still don’t quite realize how much more she still knows than you.

Personally, I haven’t made it past the “know-it-all adult” phase yet, but when I do, I’m sure I’ll have learned more about how much my mom knows. And the longer I’m a mom myself, the more I understand her, and love her, and appreciate what she did, does, and will continue to do for me. I definitely know why she does it now – and I guess I knew all along, but didn’t understand the depth of it. She loves me, even when I don’t deserve it. She watches me make my mistakes, and go through the same things she did, and learn everything the hard way… and she still loves me.

Photo courtesy Hymas Image 2005

And I finally know how she always knows where everything is – and she can give scary-specific directions, like: “In the far cupboard, in the middle, on the right-hand side, behind the box of baking soda.”

Thanks, Mom.