Forgotten: a lesson for momma.

Wenesday nights are unusually quiet around here. Eric and Nate go to AWANA Club at our church, and Levi usually takes an evening nap. I am left with my thoughts and a toy-strewn living room. This particular evening, I was straightening up, when I noticed Nate's sippy cup of water sitting on the end table. He'd forgotten it, and I felt an immediate pang in my gut. Why? Because I'm his mother, and I want to make sure that everything is perfect for him. I don't want him to ever forget his water because I want to be absolutely, positively certain that he's never thirsty! Yeah, there's a drinking fountain about 8 feet from the door of his classroom. Sure, he can drink out of a little dixie cup like the other kids during snacktime. And, sure, I know that he's having juicy mandarin oranges for snack. And, let's face it, even if he is thirsty, an hour and a half isn't going to dehydrate him. And, hey, no water to drink lessens the likelyhood of a potty accident!
But still, no matter how many logical things I tell myself, I hate that he forgot his drink! I know that I'm a little crazy and a lot overprotective of my boys, but they're my kids! This momma love is something fierce and wild--far beyond my comprehension before I felt it. Without a doubt, I would do anything for my children. Anything. And, sometimes that anything isn't fun--it involves time-outs and no treats and even the occasional swat on the tush. But, it also involves snuggling sweet babies, and getting an "I wuv you, Momma" at bedtime, and baking birthday cakes, and wrapping the perfect car on Christmas Eve in eager anticipation of his face when he opens it. And, whether I like it or not, motherhood involves letting these little ones grow up. And, as they grow and become independent, they will learn lessons on their own. Maybe a few of those lessons will sting a bit. Maybe they'll even forget their drinks! And, even though I can't take away every bit of pain from their lives, I can be here for them. Always. I'll be here to hug them and kiss away the boo-boos. I'll be here to listen and to talk and to comfort, and to offer a drink of water--just in case they're thirsty when they get home!