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Thankful for Motherhood

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Thankful for Motherhood @ AVirtuousWoman.org

Every day, I wake up and thank God for my kids. I thank Him that we are all safe, alive, and together. I know it is a blessing.

But motherhood hasn’t always been easy – okay so maybe it’s never been easy. If you know my story, you know that I was faced with a big decision at a very young age. The decision to either keep my baby or give him up. There were people in my life who wanted me to give him away – or worse, have an abortion. But from the moment I found out I was pregnant, that baby had my heart.

Note: My parents were very supportive and never encouraged me to do anything other than keep my baby.

When I gave birth to my first baby at the tender age of 15, I didn’t know what the future held. I didn’t know if we would be okay or if life would be a series of disappointments and heartache. I didn’t know.

Choosing to raise my son, James, wasn’t the easy choice, but it was the right choice. And while there have been many times that motherhood has thrown me for a loop, I’ve never regretted my decision to be a mom.

Thankful for Motherhood @ AVirtuousWoman.orgIn fact, just the opposite. I love being a mom more than ever.

Nearly 25 years have past since that late night when I gave birth for the first time. Maybe sometime I’ll share that story with you.

I have five amazing kids. I always tell them they are above average. And maybe that’s just my mama’s bias, but I believe it. They are all amazing in their own way and have taught me so much about life, love, patience, compassion, courage, and joy. My kids have helped shape me into the person I am today and I will be forever grateful for the privilege of being their mom.

My Thankful List

  1. Being a mom.
  2. Laughing with my kids.
  3. Seeing my kids smile.
  4. Holding my kid’s hand when she is sick.
  5. When my old kids call me {or text} and ask me for one of my recipes.
  6. Every time we sit down at the table together as a family.
  7. Getting to cheer my kids on and help them reach their goals.
  8. Late night chats as I tuck my teens in bed.
  9. Motherhood has taught me patience.
  10. Hugging my kids.

Thankful for Motherhood @ AVirtuousWoman.org

Being a mom is a gift. It’s a wild and precious gift that you have to hold on to tightly or it slips through your fingers. Of course, no matter how old your kids get, you’re always their mom. But did you enjoy the journey along the way?

That’s what I try to remind myself of everyday. To hold onto each and every precious moment. To stop and really listen. To take the time for what is most important to me. My kids.

It’s so easy to get so caught up in the busyness of life that LIFE passes you by. Don’t let that happen to you. How often do you see families caught up in their own little worlds, disconnected from each other? Are you paying attention?

American Greetings has partnered with United Way Worldwide as part of the ThankList campaign to give back during the season of gratitude; for each #ThankList shared on social, American Greetings will donate $1 to United Way Worldwide. Funds donated during the campaign will be allocated towards hunger prevention. Click this tweet below- it’s easy!

[Tweet “I’m thankful for being a mom! #ThankList”]

It’s so sad, but true: We live in a world full of bad news and heads buried deep in our phones. As a society we are becoming more and more disconnected.

We’re becoming more alone together.

#ThankList

Being thankful, saying those two words – THANK YOU – is such a simple, but often forgotten act. I want to live a life of thanksgiving. Not just one day, but everyday. Multiplied by millions – just imagine if everyone said thank you to someone today – this small act of saying thank you can manifest a big change and a cultural movement!

ThankList is a list of people you want to thank. This is a list of people you want to express gratitude toward for helping to shape your life, and it’s a step toward a world that’s just a little bit nicer.

How do you make this list? It’s easy. Just tweet or post on Instagram or Facebook the names of the people for whom you’re thankful. And make sure to add the hashtag #ThankList #30DayChallenge.

Who are you most thankful for and why? Share in the comments below and be sure to tweet of share on Facebook too!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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7 Comments

  1. I AM THANKFUL FOR MY LIFE,MY HUSBAND,MY 3 WONDERFUL CHILDREN,MY MUM AND SIBLINGS.I'M THANKFUL FOR YOU TOO MELISSA.YOU INSPIRE ME
  2. I am thankful for my husband and two children. Thankful that I have had the opportunity to homeschool them. And as already mentioned above, I am thankful for the inspiration from YOU, Melissa! I am always so encouraged after reading something you post!
  3. I’m thankful for my husband & my sweet little boy :) he is such a huge blessing in my life ... cheers me up when I’m feeling down , he is such a romantic he pulls out any wild flower & surprises me with it , but most of all he keep me close to the lord Jesus he keeps me on my knees .... you see I was pregnant at the age of 19 , my boyfriend dumped me & told me to abort my child ... I didn’t but the lord send me someone I didn’t know him very well but he told me DONT ABORT YOUR CHILD I will help you , today that man is my husband my son is 6years old THIS YEAR ,today I can say if it had not been for the lord who was on my side where would I be :) :) I’m thankful for allot of things but I’m thankful for you Melissa Ringstaff
  4. I'm thankful for Jesus Christ dying for all!! Giving us the choice... Thankful for (Saturday) the Sabbath! Thankful for this life and all it has to offer. Thankful for my wonderful husband, 3 terrific children, our health, family, friends, being able to homeschool, right now having the freedom pray, inspiring people, clean water, sunshine, this article... there are so many things I'm thankful for.

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