The older I get the more I realize, a mother’s work is never done. There is always something else that needs to be tackled for the day.

Mothers are priceless in many ways and after I became one I now see what my mother has gone through for me and my brothers. I’m sure there were many times she wanted to just hold us in her arms and keep us from harm and other times she probably wanted to “rattle our teeth.” However, she was always there for us as a mom and always working nonstop. So that’s why I strive to do the same for my children.

I think half of what mothers go through no one else could ever understand, except maybe another mother. There are just too many things that she never told you about. Like the fact that she was part of the glee club or that she had another steady boyfriend before she ended up marrying your dad. Or perhaps she never told you how many nights she was up praying for you to return home safely because she couldn’t sleep until she heard your keys opening the front door at 2 a.m. Those little things that often ate at her soul, hollowed her out and made her feel empty inside but she kept going, and built herself up again so she could carry more and more of the weight of her family.

Most do not see the physical, spiritual or emotional weight that a mother carries. She is the one who after a long day of work comes home to cook dinner, checks on everyone, then stays up into the night to tidy up and possibly do the laundry that piles up on a daily basis. These everyday routines and responsibilities often wear her down but she does not quit. She keeps going, knowing that it has to be done and she needs to do it.

Moms are always the ones who are trying to do everything they need to do today while planning for what needs to be done tomorrow. Yet many times these moms fall short because they too are human and they need to find a resting place so they can refuel too.

As a mom I have often been the last one to go to bed and the first one to get up to get everything going the next day. In fact, my whole Mother’s Day weekend was nonstop. I worked all week, including covering several night events to come home Friday evening to jump on our zero-turn mower and quickly mow my front and back lawn. Then my daughter and I had to make a mad dash to a laundromat at almost 10 p.m. to wash up five loads of clothes because the latch broke on my brand new washing machine and a repair guy couldn’t come until later this week. So then we stayed up until 4 a.m. drying all those loads so they wouldn’t mildew. Of course, I was the only one up again four hours later to feed all the animals and start making a list of everything I needed to do for Saturday and Sunday. So Saturday morning, as soon as I knew neighbors were up and about, I started weed-eating around my yard, mowed both my neighbors yards and spent my evening getting groceries to cook for Mother’s Day. Then I was up again early on Sunday getting a pot roast on, watching my Elevation church service and trying to clean the house before company came that afternoon.

Once we were done with eating and giving cards and gifts for Mother’s Day, we ran over to my sisterin- law’s to drop off gifts as my husband helped fix a part on my niece’s car. All in all, it was quite an eventful weekend.

However, even at the end of such a crazy, busy week, I know it’s really not about a fresh-mowed lawn, a perfect dinner, a spotless home, or taking the just-right family photos. It’s really about just being there for my family every day through the ups and downs, the big disappointments and the small victories.

Are there times I have way too much on my plate? Absolutely! Are there times I want to get away from it all or just get a 30-minute nap? You better believe it! But as I get up so exhausted to do it all again this week, I have to laugh when I come back inside from putting out the dogs and feeding the cats to grab my cup of coffee and it’s not there. As I look around to see if someone might have taken it, I realize I added the water, put in the coffee pod, pushed the button and forgot the cup. Thank God the Keurig has an overfill drip tray that caught most of it and I could still make a second cup which I desperately needed after averaging four hours of sleep each night over this weekend. Yet would I trade it? Not for all the money in this world! For you see, motherhood is a calling but it’s not for the weak because a mother’s work is never done.

So here’s to all those moms who have full-time jobs (whether outside the home or just in the home) and who are worn out most of the time but keep going. May the Lord bless you as you bow your knees to pray one more time for your children and bow your head to bless the food that you’ve prepared for your family on your day – Mother’s Day. May the Lord’s strength be with you as you push on through sheer exhaustion to complete everyday tasks and may His wisdom help you through every trial. I pray God’s grace covers you and your family all the days of your life so when your journey is over and your work is finally done, you will hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant…”