We have a laundry situation in this house…meaning there is too much of it.

But an impossibility occurred one day this week and I managed to get all caught up. As in, every single item of clothing was washed, dried, folded and put away into drawers (or at least into baskets for big kids to fold). I felt VERY accomplished!

I tried to ignore the reality that once the kids got home from school and changed from school uniforms into soccer and basketball uniforms and then out of those sports uniforms into pajamas there would be AT LEAST another load of laundry waiting for me…but whatever! For a few hours the laundry was DONE!

And then THIS happened.

When my kids got home from school and came back down from changing before we set out for soccer games and basketball practice my teen said, “Oh thanks for doing all that laundry, Mom! That was a lot of work!”

Full stop.

I had to resist every urge to throw up my hands and declare, “My work here is done!!!” then head for the front door so as to go out on a high note. But, you know, soccer games and dinner and all the rest were waiting for me.

Still!!!

My point is you guys, we work day and night DOING for these little people…for this little family we created.

Cooking and feeding and changing and bathing and diapering and cleaning and washing and folding and grocery shopping and scrubbing and organizing and driving and dropping and picking up and doing and doing and doing…

And behind the scenes worrying and trying and failing and trying again and praying and loving…

IT NEVER ENDS.

And so often it all feels completely ignored. Totally unappreciated.

We wonder if they notice. We wonder if they even see us sometimes. We wonder if they KNOW just how much we love them.

And I’m telling you…they do.

We are so intricately connected to these little beings. Our babies. The loves of our lives…

They see. They KNOW. They are so deeply rooted in our love.

It permeates every bit of their lives and those deep, steady roots leave them free to grow and live and learn and try and fail and try again. We are their soft place. Their safe space.

Ever-present just behind them…DOING and PRAYING and LOVING.

And they just know.

We ARE love.

We are ‘Mom.’