Our little Seth has been sick since yesterday, with a fever.
I love taking care of him.
Holding him when he needs to be close.
Letting him sleep on the couch, in a little spot made up just for him, when he needs to be left alone to sleep.
I want to remember to smile every time he looks my way. Because when he wakes up, mine is the face he looks for. He can’t talk much, but his beautiful, trusting eyes tell me what I need to know.
I want to remember to take the time to read his eyes and answer with soothing words, a hug and a cuddle, a drink. To softly touch his hot face with my hands. To be gentle.
Remembering that he just might form his first memories, around the way I’m caring for him today.
And it’s okay to be spoiling him and doing whatever we can to keep him comfortable. Big sister Grace made up his little bed, on the couch, with a crisp clean sheet, and a soft pillow. He sleeps through all the house noise and wakes up once in a while if he needs me.
Last night, Rich and I sat side by side. He held Seth and I held Sarah. It was good to have his arms home at the end of the day, to help my arms out.
But, when only one lap and one set of arms will do….we make it work that way, too.
Today his blue blankie joins him, and his soft stuffed bear, because we know how much texture means to this little boy. When I hold him, he melts my heart when he gets a little bit of my shirt in his fingers and holds it, because it feels secure and soothing to him. When he does it, I’m reminding of a line from one of my favorite little essays about motherhood.
“Everybody knows that a good mother gives her children a feeling of trust and stability. She is the one they can count on for the things that matter most of all. She is their food and their bed and their extra blanket when it grows cold in the night; she is their warmth and health and their shelter; she is the one they want to be near when they cry. She is the only person in the whole world, or in a whole lifetime, who can be these things to her children. There is no substitute for her. Somehow even her clothes feel different to her children’s hands from anybody else’s clothes. Only to touch her skirt or her sleeve makes a troubled child feel better.” ~Katherine Hathaway
So as I go along, completing the day’s work, I want to remember that I matter to my children. My goal, the way I want to be, is to listen to them, care about what they are telling me, make a comfortable and peaceful home, smile, hug, and simply just be available……to love them in just a portion of the way God loves me.
I’ve been a Mom for 14 years and I have seven children and the Lord has taught me so much during this time, one of the most important being…..that I can give the children a taste HIS LOVE through MY LOVE….and that HE is teaching ME of HIS great LOVE, by allowing me (giving me grace) to love the children He has given me.
I know the powerful, yet imperfect, love a mother feels for her child…..and I am amazed, humbled, to know that His love for me is abundantly MORE powerful than that, and also PERFECT!
” As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.” Isaiah 66:13a
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“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3,4
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“Everybody knows that GOD gives His children a feeling of trust and stability. He is the one they can count on for the things that matter most of all. He is their food and their bed and their extra blanket when it grows cold in the night; He is their warmth and health and their shelter; He is the one they want to be near when they cry. He is the only One in the whole world, or in a whole lifetime, who can be these things to His children. There is no substitute for Him…… Somehow even His clothes feel different to His children’s hands from anybody else’s clothes. Only to touch His skirt or His sleeve makes a troubled child feel better.”
I almost left off the last two sentences of that quote because I could think of verses to prove the previous ones, but not those last two lines……then I remembered this one:
“And, behold, a woman….touched the hem of His (Jesus’) garment: For she said within herself, If I may just touch his garment, I shall be whole.” Matthew 9:21
Oh, how beautiful & lovely!
I’m not doing a very good job of it, but all I am trying to say is that our yearnings and desires (even though we often fail) to care for and mother our children come from GOD Himself…..He is our perfect example and gives us all we need to care for our families.
Thankful today for so many things…including each and every friend who visits me here today. Hope you are having a blessed day!
~Shanda
Good to be Home 
Beautiful. I hope Sethie feels better speedy quick!
I sure hope he gets feeling better soon.
Oh, Shanda, this post brought tears to my eyes. The verses and words mean so much! I hope he feels better soon!
This is what we mommies do that is beyond measure…priceless.When we look to God, He blesses us with the ability to nurture our little ones, to comfort and make them feel secure.Even when they are 23! Bri arrived home with the little two year old she cares for feeling awful from her monthly cramps…Mom Care kicked in: It was cold so I lit a fire, made her hot tea and toast after bundling her up in a soft blanket. Then I spent the morning playing with David so she could rest I was one happy mom
So sweet. Good reminder for me today- to love my kids!
Poor Sethers! I hope he feels better soon! You are such a good loving Mother!
This brings tears to my eyes!! Something frustrating happened…a little while later my littlest one looked me in the eyes and said “you still ove me mama?” I say to her all the time when something happens that I still love her. This time she felt the need to ask. Of course I hugged her and kissed her and said “I still love you!”Your post came at the right time!!! A strong reminder to continue the day in such a way that none of my children have a reason to doubt!Have a wonderful day dear friend!
speedy recovery to your dear little guy. “texture” means a lot to my boy too…it made me smile to hear you mention it.You seem to be doing an AWESOME job at mothering!! Love the scriptures you added to this post. Jesus did have a heart for many women while he was here on earth. He does care about us and our needs.
What a beautiful post!I hope little Seth feels better soon.My post on Monday sounds like your house, for one has been sick over here. (Except mine didn’t have all the wonderful words your posts do!) You are such a great writer, you make me want to just come and sit at your house. =)I love the quote you put up, so inspiring, makes me want to go give everyone in my house a Hug!Have a great day. =)
Shanda,I love the pictures of Seth. Soo precious! My favorites are the ones where you caught him going to sleep. And the ones with you and Rich side by side. Such sweetness there.Ahh,to be shut away from the world enjoying our families and soaking in the goodness of the LordSeth looks so big in all the pictures!Hoping he’s better soon~ Cinnamon
You post was full of sweetness to me today. I felt nurtured by it. I am tired and overwhelmed. Trying to go several directions at once and feeling the need for some time to regroup and think. Sometimes my boy talks at me almost constantly (he needs someone else to talk to), and I have handled calls from my mom and Daniel trying to sort out missions plans too. I am blessed they want and need me and talk to me…just having one of those overload days. I know YOU have so many wanting your ear and arms!!Sethie looks so incredibly sweet, I am glad you took pictures. Some he looks like such a little guy,and others like a big boy, funny how he can go either way. Love how you manage to hold both your babies when they need you. Praying for God to give you all you need.
thanks for this post — good reminders for me as i’ve been caring for my little one sick with fever for a week.hope little seth feels better soon!
Beautiful words! My teenagers still like to be pampered like that when they are sick….guess you never outgrow the need for a Mother’s Love
I did have a blessed day. Hope Seth feels better soon.
Prayers for Sethie! 😉 I had four sick at the same time a few weeks ago…I was surprised at how much pamperin geven my 17 year old required! Made me feel special…in an odd way…
Shanda, I am crying buckets right now!! Your post was literally a huge confirmation that I heard God correctly yesterday!! I am going to print it out and hang it up to remind me. I have been REALLY struggling with wondering if I am enough and good enough for my boys. HSchooling is hard and causes us to doubt so often. But God CLEARY said to me last night,” you are who I chose to be their mother, you are part of MY plan for them, there is no substitute or anyone better to mother these children than the one I gave them.” Now your post just said it again!! I love it when that happens!! You are an excellent mother – I can tell! Mail for you soon! Gina
hi shanda…….i’m glad seth waited to get sick until after your return from vacation, so he could have his mommy to make him feel safe and taken care of. and thank you for sharing those beautiful thoughts on motherhood.
AW. We have a sick baby too. Just a cold though. I enjoy the slower sick days. And the extra loving I get to dish out. I really really love learning from you about being a better mom and wife. Thanks for the inspiration and being down to earth. : )
awww this is so very sweet,your babies are so so so adorable even when sick. I do hope your little guy gets better really soon, poor baby. Your words are very true and beautiful!
You made such a wonderful post from being inspired by caring for your little sick guy! I loved that about being a mom, too. When the kids were sick, they used to ask me to “build them a nest” on the couch. They were so cuddly then, too. Ahh… memories! Now they are ages 32 and 27! Hope little Set is feeling better soon.
As soon as I read the quote about mothers, and their clothing being different to their children, I thought of the Matthew passage of the woman touching Jesus’ hem. We think so much about God being our father that we can forget about the passages that speak of him having a mother’s love for his children, too. Such a beautiful image, and such lovely, hopeful inspiration to keep loving our children, that they may see our Heavenly Parent in us.
Hope he’s feeling much better soon. What sweet pictures.
“Remembering that he just might form his first memories, around the way I’m caring for him today” almost brought me to tears…because it’s so true. 🙂
this is a precious post, shanda. you are such a good mom.. an example to me. i hope you don’t ever stop blogging~ our xanga corner would definitely be dimmer. 🙂