Pre-Order So God Made a Mother

You slipped your arms around my waist as I stood at the kitchen counter, slicing veggies for dinner. “I love you, babe,” you whispered in my ear. With a quick kiss on my cheek, you grabbed the burgers and headed out to the grill.

Not a second later, I felt little arms wrap around my legs, and the touch of tiny lips against my knee. “I love you, Mama!” the sweetest little voice exclaimed from a blue-eyed toddler who shares your smile.

The moment stirred my heart, and I knew right where our son had picked up such a loving gesture—from you, his daddy.

You’re his hero, you know. It’s no secret he wants to be just like you. He follows you around, and wears your ball cap, and watches out the window every evening as he waits for your truck to pull into the driveway.

And I know this might seem like a tired cliche, but it’s true . . . Daddy, your sons are watching you.

What a blessing that is.
What a responsibility that is.

They’re watching you, Daddy, as you wake up with the sun to get ready for a long day of work. They wave as you drive away to selflessly provide for your family.

They listen as you tell their sister she’s precious and me, their mommy, how much I mean to you. Through you, they’re learning how to love well with dignity and respect.

They giggle as you playfully tease us all, and they’re becoming jokesters just like you, able to find humor and joy in every moment.

They take note of your actions in the midst of conflict. You’re showing them how to keep their cool and how to discuss with grace and an open mind. The quiet way in which you handle disagreements speaks volumes.

They see the way you rush to hold the door open for an elderly couple to pass through, and when you take off your hat to say hello I see them do the same.

They notice the pleases and thank yous and sirs and ma’ams that roll so naturally off of your tongue as you address the world around you with kindness and respect.

They hear your gratitude for the dinner plate handed your way, whether it’s filled with steak or a helping of leftover mac ‘n cheese.

They’re watching you, Daddy, and whether you realize your impact or not, they’re tracing your every step.

You’re teaching them how to be a daddy . . . when you sing to them, when you hold their hands. When you kneel down to look them in the eye and when you make the time to listen to what they have to say. When you read them a story, when you play with them, when you tuck them into bed and kiss their foreheads softly. When you chase away their bad dreams in the middle of the night.

You’re teaching them how to be husbands . . . when you tell me I’m beautiful, when you reach for my hand across the center console of the car. When you leave me a sweet note of encouragement just because. When you ask if you can do anything to help, and when you care for me when I’m not feeling well.

You’re teaching them how to be men . . . when you look others in the eye, when you greet people with a hug or a steady handshake. When you admit your mistakes and use the words, “I’m sorry” without hesitation. When you pull over to help change someone’s tire or pull them from a snow bank.

Your sons see it all, Daddy, every moment. They’re always watching, and it’s because of you that they’re learning . . .

Character is stronger than muscle.

Words hold a mighty power within them.

Love is best shown through action.

Every night as I lie in bed, I glance over at your already-sleeping silhouette next to me. In that moment, my heart fills with gratitude for the man you are. What a gift our family has been given in you.

And every night, I squeeze my eyes tight and send up a prayer thanking God that of all the daddies in this world, our sons are watching you.

You may also like:

And God Said, “Let There Be Daddies”

Here’s to the Daddies Who Raise Little Boys to be Great Men and Little Girls to be Strong Women

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our new book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available for pre-order now!

Pre-Order Now

Casey Huff

Casey is a middle school teacher turned stay-at-home-mama to three littles. It's her mission as a writer to shine light on the beauty and chaos of life through the lenses of motherhood, marriage, and mental health. To read more, go hang out with Casey at: Facebook: Bouncing Forward Instagram: @bouncing_forward

You’re Learning Life by Watching Me

In: Kids, Motherhood
Child touching mother's face as they lie on a bed

Every morning my daughter and I go outside for some fresh air. She feeds her chickens and plays and explores and walks around with her dog while I follow her around and have a cup of coffee.  This morning, my girl grabbed one of her coffee cups from her toy kitchen and brought it outside with her while she walked with her dog and pretended to take sips out of it.  Guys. I stood there watching her with her toy coffee cup, walking around with her animals, and I cried giant baby tears.  RELATED: I Wasn’t Counting On You Growing...

Keep Reading

Sometimes Love Means Slowing Down

In: Friendship, Kids
Two boys on bicycles riding to park, shown from behind

Think of something faster than a 7-year-old boy on a two-wheel bike. Maybe a race car at the drop of the checkered flag? Perhaps a rocket ship blasting into space? Or how quickly a toddler mom books it out of the house after being told she can have a hands-free hour ALONE in Target. Yes, all of these things are seriously speedy, but I have still never seen anything quite as quick as a boy on a bike on a sunny day with endless open track ahead of him. Until today. Today, my 6-year-old son wanted to ride bikes with...

Keep Reading

3 Ways to Help Your Firstborn Embrace Becoming a Big Brother

In: Baby, Kids, Motherhood, Toddler
Pregnant woman holding toddler son, color photo

My oldest son turned four right after his first brother was born. Four years of alone time with his parents. Four years of extra mommy time during the week. Four years of having toys to himself, extra attention from family members, and more. I didn’t plan a four-year age gap; it took our family a lot longer and a lot more help than we expected to have our second son, but age gaps aren’t everything. When my second son was finally on the way, I heard a lot of opinions about how our oldest son would feel once he finally...

Keep Reading

I Am a Wrestling Mom

In: Kids, Motherhood
Three young boys with wrestling medals, color photo

As the sun is rising on a frigid winter morning, a brave and determined group of athletes are weighing in at a high school gym. They are physically and mentally preparing for a long day spent at a tournament where they will spend only minutes wrestling, despite the hours they sit and wait all day. Their sport uses offense, defense, and mental strength unlike any other sport. My sons and nephew are wrestlers. They are part of a special team of athletes who work together but compete as individuals.           Their youth team is run by all volunteer coaches with...

Keep Reading

Dear Busy Sports Mom: It’s Worth It

In: Kids, Motherhood, Tween
Mom watching soccer game, photo from behind

My daughter stands on the front porch every morning and waves goodbye to me as I pull out of the driveway to go to work.  She is 11, and recently eye-rolling, long sighs, and tears have become more commonplace in our daily interactions. But, there is also this: “Bye! Have a good day!” she calls to me in the quiet of early morning, neighbors not yet awake in their still dark houses. “You are AMAZING! You got this!” she continues in her little adult voice, sounding more like a soccer mom than a fifth grader.   Her hair is still a...

Keep Reading

Goodbye to the Baby Hangers

In: Kids, Motherhood
Shirt hanging from small hanger, color photo

You bought them when you first found out you were pregnant. It may have been one of the first items, actually, to hold all of the precious new clothes. The smallest ones in your household. Do you remember that first newborn onesie you bought? It was one of your favorites. You couldn’t fathom you would soon hold something so small that would fit into that onesie. You washed all of the new clothing in preparation and hung them up in your baby’s closet. You know the item. A miniature version of the ones in your closet. Baby hangers. “Do we...

Keep Reading

Take the Trip, You Won’t Regret It

In: Kids, Living, Motherhood

Two years ago, in the middle of a snowy, windy, Colorado March, my husband and I made the spontaneous decision to road trip to Arizona with our three very young kids.  Even though I was excited, the nerves were so very real. Over the next couple of weeks, I literally lost sleep worrying about the logistics of our trip. My late-night mindless scrolling was replaced by searches like “traveling with toddlers” and “keeping kids entertained on road trips”. We already had our hands full chasing kids at home in a familiar setting. Were we crazy to think we could just...

Keep Reading

They’ll Remember the Love Most of All

In: Kids, Motherhood
Woman with kids from above, pregnant mother with kids hands on belly

You lie in bed at the end of a long day, the events of the day flashing back through your mind. You do this a lot—recap your day as a mama. How did you do? Did you maintain your patience? Did you play enough? Did you limit screen time? Did you yell less today than you did yesterday? You saw a really neat toddler activity in the group you’re a part of on Facebook . . . you should have done that with the kids. They would have loved it. There wasn’t enough time though, and you didn’t have all...

Keep Reading

He’s Slowly Walking Away with Footprints As Big As Mine

In: Child, Kids, Motherhood, Tween
Teen boy walking along beach shore

The true measure of a mother’s love is her willingness to wake up before the sun on vacation. On a recent trip to the shore, my youngest son begged to walk the beach at dawn to look for shells. So, I set my alarm, tumbled out of a warm, king-sized bed with extra squishy pillows, glared at my dead-to-the-world husband, and gently woke my 11-year-old. Without so much as a drop of coffee, we headed out into the morning, the sun still below the ocean horizon. With each step, I shed my zombie-like state and took in the quiet, salt-kissed...

Keep Reading

Dear Son, Raising You Right Is Worth It

In: Kids, Motherhood
little boy walking in sunlit field

You were the baby who slept nights. You were the infant who quietly stacked blocks one on top of the other. You were the toddler who watched other kids go down the slide at the park 20 times before attempting it yourself. You were the preschooler who hunkered down quietly and patiently when meeting your grandmother’s chickens. So I assumed you would be a gentle boy. And you are.   And yet, now that you’re eight, I’m beginning to understand the meaning of the phrase, “Boys will be boys.” I had my first inkling that day when you were five...

Keep Reading