Growing up, we are taught to listen to our momma’s. The love. The wisdom. The knowledge. They taught us life lessons as we made mistakes along the way. They helped us learn to pick ourselves back up as we fell so many times. They instilled in us our morals and made us feel like we are the most special people on the Earth. That’s because, to them we are.

You see, us mommas, we grow and nourish you from our own bodies. We pack your lunches and bandage your scrapes. We read you stories and tuck you into bed. We try our darndest to teach you how to do laundry and cook and run your own household; although, we hope it will be in the far distant future.

We wipe the noses and, well, the butts, too. We mix concoctions to get out muddy stains and sew up tears from a long day of play in the favorite little worn dress you must have had on a thousand times. Momma’s you see, we can do the impossible. We can pull together and make all the ends meet, and all the while feel like nothing is ever complete to the standards our families deserve.

We are hard on ourselves and hold expectations too high. Think to a time when you were filled with the most joy; a deep joy in your heart that makes you tear up thinking back. You were not thinking about all the things left undone or the piles of laundry you just could not get through. I am imagining a picture of a yard full of dirty kids giggling, a smiling husband with a full belly looking forward to an afternoon nap on a Sunday afternoon. It may be to a stormy day of ignoring the need-to-dos and building a blanket fort with the kids. It could even be the picture of a husband who loves you dearly, sneaking a thankful kiss on the cheek as you dust flour from your apron at the kitchen sink.

Maybe you think back to a hundred different happy memories, but I bet, and I am fairly certain this is correct, that in those memories you were not sitting alone in a house with everything neat and clean and in place. I bet almost every single moment you think to, you were in the company of those you love and looking over them with pride and an ear to ear smile.

That my ladies, is a happiness that we were taught by our own very dear mothers. That joy, oh that joy. I am not taking the duty and the hardships of a father lightly here, you see. I am acknowledging the time and the work a daddy does, that is for certain. But, today I am thanking you, mommas. And hoping that you take a moment and thank yourselves and appreciate the happiness you bring to everyone else’s lives. Take a minute and acknowledge the things you did get done today and brush off the chores that will just simply have to wait another day. After all, a sink full of dirty dishes is not going to ruin anyone’s life.