High on Being a Mom

I often reflect upon a particular quote I read when I was a young mother.

Jackie Kennedy once said, 

"If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do matters very much."

As with so many things in life,  motherhood has its highs, lows, and pretty much everything in between.  

But man, aren't those highs so nice?

On a recent car trip to Rochester, alone,  I had a lot of time to fill

and a lot of thoughts to fill it with.  I had just returned from a 5 day family trip to visit my daughter, Kerry, in Nashville.  We were all there together, and it was wonderful!  I was on a mothering "high".

We haven't been to Nashville since we moved her there last July.

She was facing a huge life change and wasn't really enjoying it.

It was not the best of times.

Seeing Kerry now,  working as a nurse at Vanderbilt,

was a proud moment,

but seeing her smile so freely and be her goofy self

was even better.

Her happiness was contagious.

We were there to spend family time and get a glimpse 

of what her life is like in Nashville.  

And also to meet Fletcher, her cat.

We returned to a favorite eating spot from last year.

We "escaped" .

We played.

We rocked.

We ate.

We hiked.

One evening,  we just sat in the hotel lounge and played rummy.

And when the time came,  we said good-bye.

It was a very special time.

  

Each of us is in a good place in our lives - all at the same time.

How often does that happen?

Kerry talked of plans to go back to school

for an APRN program next year.

Adam was deciding between two job offers to teach high school in New York City starting in the fall.

Annie was excited about moving into her first apartment

in a few days.  She will be living and working in Rochester over the summer - the first summer she will not be home with us.

We were just happy to talk and laugh and enjoy good family time.

I am definitely on a motherhood "high" right now

and enjoying every minute of it!