Mother's Day.

How can one day, two words, cause so much pain and bliss all at once?

For those of you with children — it's a day to be celebrated. A day to have extra love and gratitude and adoration poured upon you.

For all of us, it's a day to love on our mamas. Our friends and family who are mamas. A day to make them all know and feel how much we love them.

It really is a joyous day.

Until you realize there is a flip side.

For those of us who desire to have a family, this day can really suck. I mean it can hurt and bring up so many raw emotions. We try to brace ourselves for impact. We know it's coming. It comes around every year. And every year it stings a bit more than the last. Because every year it serves as a reminder of what we don't yet have.

But LISTEN to me, sweet ones. Just because we don't yet have a child physically here with us, doesn't make us any less of a mom. Do you hear me? Really LISTEN. We were given the "mom gene" for a reason. That desire. That love. That hope. It's all there because we are meant to be moms. We are made to be moms. We are GOING to be moms.

Now the road getting there might feel and look very different than the one we would have chosen on our own. And it might be longer and messier and more difficult and painful, but let's not focus on that. Let's not focus on all the hard stuff — because we know all of that firsthand anyway. We are living it.

INSTEAD — let's keep our eyes focused on the promise. The "mom gene" promise. The promise that He placed into our innermost being. That gene that we just can't shake. Because I promise you, dear friend, that He didn't give us that gene for naught. He is good. And He is faithful. And He will come through. I'm not going to tell you what that will look like for you. Each of our journeys is different. And we each have a unique ending being written. But I would venture to say it will be better than what we could have imagined for ourselves when it's all said and done.

Basically what I'm telling you is NOT to give up. Whether it's been days, months, or years...

DO NOT GIVE UP.

Do you hear me?

Never lose hope.

For hope and faith and grace are what get us through. It gives us strength to keep going.

To those of you who are mamas — please be gentle on this day. Please take a moment to recognize those around who might find this day to be painful. You don't need to go out of your way. Just acknowledge us. Just let us know that you see us. You hear us. And you love us. And that you understand that this day could really sting. No need to dwell on it. No need to make more of a fuss than that.

And I know that this might be a difficult thing to ask, but I'm asking you anyways — embrace and celebrate the moms around you. For one day you'll want others to do the same for you. Celebrate the mom that you are going to be. And the mom that you already are. Pour out love. Pour out hope. Pour out everything in you that oozes those mom genes.... Heck, go throw a pair of mom jeans on [they are rather comfy if I do say so myself] and have your honey pamper you today. Because you deserve it. For all that you are right now, and all that you've been promised to become.

Together, let's BE love.

-

Aubrey

@ForTheLoveOfMomGenes