Mom, I’m Staying with you Forever!

I knew it would happen. I couldn’t stop it. Well, technically, I could have…but that would have been so wrong. Wait a minute…there would never be a girl good enough for either of my boys!

Alas, my sons grew up, fell in love and got married.

Both of them. And the girls have the same name. The same first name, can you believe it? This has proven a bit confusing, yet a bit convenient for me. If I say the wrong name, I really haven’t messed up!

“Mommy, I am going to stay and live with you forever and ever.” “Oooh, yuck…I don’t like girls.” “Mom, he is acting so weird since he got a girlfriend, I will never act like that.” “Momma, I am going to marry you when I grow up.” “Mommy, here is the Valentine I made just for you!”

Nope…none of those stuck. And let’s face it, some of them sound kind of weird now! But the girls came and went…then these two stayed around. One son has been married 7 years and another 2.5 years.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love my daughters in law, and do my best to be a good mother in law. I am sure that is up for some debate sometimes. I am not use to having girls around. I have learned when to open my mouth and give an opinion, and when not to open my mouth. I talk a lot less now. But I do like that we are now evened up when we all get together.

But I digress.

So no more late night talks. No more, “Mom, how’s this shirt look?” “Mom, you are so sweet, will you fix me a bowl of cereal?”

And forget the daily phone calls asking: “Hey Mom, what are we having for dinner?” I use to wonder why that is all that they said when they called every afternoon…but boy I miss those calls now.

I used to get a little overwhelmed thinking that I was raising little boys who would someday turn into men. Those big brown eyes would someday be looking into another set of eyes that weren’t mine. Those little guys would one day be leading a family, working a job, paying bills. And they would be typical “black and white, no gray” kind of men.

I must admit, that if I EVER get to spend time alone with them for any reason, I get kind of goofy. I am so excited that it seems silly. Luckily for them, they can just blame my old age.

Picking out the song that we had our “Mother/Son” dance was a chore! I had so much I wanted to say….dare I say that they don’t remember the song or what was sung. You know the “black and white” kind of thing.

Since the day I found out I was pregnant with each of them I have prayed for their wives. I literally prayed everyday for the little girls that were growing up somewhere. Guess what?
God answered my prayers.

So basically….

I have been replaced. I am no longer the most important woman in my sons’ lives. I am not the first one they think of when they need advice, when they need to discuss something, or they just want to sit in the same room and watch a sports program. I am not their “Valentine.”

And I should not be.

So I say with much love…..Happy Valentine’s Day to my lovely daughters-in-law and sons! You all grew up awfully fast!