In Wonder

I've been thinking a lot about Christmas, the reason we celebrate and everything that goes along with that.  My mom's shortbread, stockings, family and of course the birth of Jesus.   How grateful I am for my own mother and the love and care she has shown me over the years.  I am grateful more than ever, now that I have three of my own,  the hard work, the love, the frustration, the unconditional love.  I am thankful for my mother-in-law and how she raised the man that I love, who is such a great husband and amazing father. As we have a little one in our house at this season (well a really little one, the 2 and 1 year old are little too) but having a baby sure makes me think of how I would have felt being Mary.  I am in no way comparing myself to this remarkable, gentle woman but I do feel a kinship with her as mothers.   I imagine she felt the same as we all do when about to give birth.  We want our babies to arrive on this side of the veil healthy, warm and into the hands that love them.  We are nervous of what lies ahead, we have dreams for our little ones and desire that they never know pain, hardship and loss.  Of course we know that is impossible but our instincts are to protect and love this little spirits and protect them.  I can imagine the love she felt for husband as he tried to make her as comfortable as possible in less then ideal circumstance.  How grateful I am for that mother and the guidance she showed her family and for the reason we celebrate at this time of year. I'm in awe and wonder as she held her sweet one, smelled his hair, counted his fingers and toes and held him close.  I wonder if her heart  swelled with joy and ached at the same time from the knowledge of what her son meant to the world. My goal this Christmas season is to keep Christ in Christmas and be a better mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend.