Being a Mom

I have been a Mom for over 24 years and It is the cliche the hardest job you will ever Love-- This week we took our youngest to fulfill a lifetime goal of his to serve a mission for our church he is training for three weeks and then will be out sharing the beliefs of his heart. I am so pleased for him. (Pictures later we are still traveling)
I was thinking, now that my children are all adults, my outlook on motherhood has shifted. I can look back and see the things I wish I had done differently, the things I wish I had tried harder a to do, - the things I wish I could have been more consistent in doing, but I cannot spend the rest of my life looking back and seeing regrets.
I see the amazing children that we were blessed to have and what they have done w/ their lives, inspite of me and my shortcomings--I know I did a few things right-- but mostly the Lord filled in the Gaps-- I can honestly say I like all my children I know we have to love them but I like them too. .. Growing up as I did as 7th of a family of 10 --11 or 16 depending on how you count them up-- I was of the every man for himself attitude for sheer survival . So when I became a mother at 25 I was till a little selfish and did not even realize it - I wanted my share of Time alone,time w/dad etc...
What I learned as a Mom is that as we fill our children s needs we grow and we become less selfish. In becoming so we need not loose ourselves, we can actually find the better self or become selfless in the best sense of the word. So in raising children we not only are forming their lives but our own as well and we are all better people for having the most wonderful experience life holds-- being a Forever Family.