The Gift of Mommy Magic

Amy George

It’s that time of year again. Winter means colds and all the fun stuff that comes along with them. My kids have had so many of them this season. Lily also had a lot of earaches and then in December she got RSV, which required a brief hospital stay. In addition to all of this, the poor thing is also teething. Suffice it to say, it’s been a pretty miserable winter for her.

I began thinking about this the other night at 4 a.m. She woke up crying because her gums were hurting. I held her, loved her and rocked her, trying my best to console my precious baby who was in pain. As I sat in the rocker with her, bleary-eyed and tired, I actually thanked God for allowing me to do this.

Isn’t that odd?

Thanking Him for having to get up in the middle of the night to console a sleeping baby? Thanking Him for interrupting my sleep to take care of someone else?

Yes, it sounds odd, but it’s really not.

I keep a blog, and I actually blogged about this very thing earlier this year. On that particular night, Ann Catherine had a cold and had woken up coughing in the middle of the night, which led to crying. I got her out of her crib, and as I tried to calm her down and get her back to sleep, I was thinking, “Ann Catherine, mommy is so tired. Please go back to sleep.” But then I realized something. Here’s how I explained it on my blog.

“As hard as those middle of the night “breakdowns” are, we as mothers are so lucky. Who do our children call for when they are upset?

Mommy.

Who do they call for when they are sick?

Mommy.

Who do they call for when they are scared?

Mommy.

Do you know what a gift that is?

As I stood there, rubbing her back, I realized that this is a gift given exclusively to mothers.

It means that there is someone in this world, who truly NEEDS us. Who DEPENDS on us. Who thinks we can make EVERYTHING better.

Being a mom is so tiring. In fact, it’s downright exhausting. Right now, having two children under the age of two, I wonder sometimes, ‘Will I EVER get a full night’s rest again?’

But what I get in return is so worth it. There are two little people in this world who are completely unaware of all of my many faults. Completely unaware how woefully inadequate I really am. Completely unaware that I have so many limitations.

I am just Mommy to them. In their eyes, I can do anything.

It makes all those nights without sleep worth it.”

I thought about this same thing the other night as I held Lily. It’s almost as if God gives mothers a little extra dose of something special so we can take care of our children whenever they need us.

My friends who have older children always tell me it gets easier as your children grow. Those middle of the night meltdowns don’t happen as frequently. That’s a good thing, right?

In a way, yes. But it also makes me a little sad to think the time will come when they won’t wake up crying for me. Until then, I’ll count my blessings. Especially at 4 a.m.

After a successful career as a news anchor at Channel 19, Amy George now works full time for the Huntsville Hospital Foundation. She and husband Chris are the proud parents of Ann Catherine (2) and Lily (1). Her passion is raising awareness about prematurity and the NICU at Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children. You can find her blog here.