Mothering Maren

Four years ago my little Maren came screaming into my life. My baby. The last one. A fourth girl! What a miraculous and special and fabulous day.

Problem being, she didn’t stop screaming for the next two and a half years. I’m telling you I didn’t think we were going to make it some days. So much crying. Many temper tantrums. Lots of stubbornness.

She screamed every single time I strapped her into her car seat for a full year. She gave herself a mullet. And hence, she is my baby. The last one.

There have been a lot of tough times over the last few years. Life changing stuff. And I realized this week as I was battling some of my older daughters that there are peaks and valleys. There are times that are so wonderful and fabulous to be a mother. Then there are times that are heart wrenching and stressful and scary. I’ve learned that when things are hard, there is going to be an upswing.

The key for me seems to be to enjoy the peaks to the fullest and let them carry me through the valleys. I think they are meant to bring us closer in the end. There may be days when we don’t like each other very much, but I always love you very, very much. That’ll get us through the valleys.

Whether we are having fun or struggling, we bond. That’s my deepest desire as a mom is to grow closer and deeper with my kids. I can see that with the other girls. I can see it with Maren. And I would not trade it for the world.

We are on a peak right now. She and I get to spend our days alone together whooping it up. We go places, play and visit. We do laundry and cuddle up in bed together. She is a total delight.

I know she will turn into a school aged girl and then, Lord help me, a teenager. There are more valleys and peaks to come. Sometimes they come month to month, and sometimes they come minute to minute.

But every day, every joy, every challenge leads to relationship. It leads to sparkle and shine. And love.

So I’ll take it. All of it. Peaks and valleys. Good times and hard times. As long as I’m with my girl. My baby. My last one. My sparkle and shine.

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