Find all of my 31 Moments of Motherhood posts here.
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[Lights come up on a woman sitting in a rocking glider with a small side table, her hands forming the shape of rocking a baby.]
Me
“When my kids were babies, they needed me constantly. I held them so much that if someone else took them for a few minutes, I started to feel awkward and empty. What do you do with your hands when they aren’t holding a baby?”
[Picks up glue and glitter from side table.]
Me
“Then my kids started to crawl…then walk…then run…but my hands were still full. Playing games, making crafts, getting snacks, coming up with activities, and being the best playmate ever.”
[Standing up, holding out empty hands.]
Me
“Then something happened. My kids started dreaming up plays where I didn’t make the cast list. They read bedtime stories all by themselves, leaving just enough time to give me a quick goodnight hug. My oldest started to say things like, ‘Mom, you just don’t understand me’, and then she would dash off to her room crying. Over long weekends, my kids whined because they missed their school friends.”
“All of a sudden, I can see them tiptoeing to a place where they don’t need me every second, a place I longed for back when they were babies attached to my hip 12 hours a day.”
“I felt so empty.”
[Demonstrates each action as it is spoken.]
Me
“But then I realized…
…while I can’t carry my son around anymore, I can still stroke his head before he falls asleep.
…and while I don’t have to read to my daughter every night, I can still point out what are positive books for her to read.
…and I will always be right there to catch them when they trip on the challenges of life.”
And I can daily lift my hands in prayer for each of them. That I can do.”
[Looks down at her hands.]
“Not empty. Not by a long shot.”
[Lights down.]
