My 9-year-old son, Waylan, had a flag football game last night. It was chilly. It was windy. I didn’t want to dig out my heavy winter coat, but I knew I would need more than a windbreaker, so I reached for the fuzzy blanket we keep on the back of the sofa in the living room. 

My 11-year-old son, Liam, walked in as I was folding the blanket and said, “No, Mom. I’ve got a more ‘football-ish’ blanket for you.” He disappeared to his bedroom and returned moments later carrying his beloved Kansas City Chiefs blanket, which is typically not a shareable item. He held it out to me, with a look of tenderness in his blue eyes, so like my own. 

This touched my heart so much.

He knows I have been under the weather for several days. He also knows sitting outside in the wind probably isn’t the best when I am battling allergies, a cold, or severe sinus pressure, but it is what a mother does even when she does not quite feel up to it. 

This same child, who spends more time with his eyes glued to his laptop or his headphones drowning out all background noise so he can concentrate on gaming does not always see past the monitor into the needs of others. 

Yet when I least expected it, he graciously offered his favorite warm, fuzzy blanket. A gesture of chivalry, selfless concern for the one woman in his life who treasures him like none other.

It is in these little moments of pure, unexpected sweetness that I get lost in the shifting tides of time. 

My baby is now a full-fledged young man. Changing daily before my very eyes. Nearly tall enough to surpass me in height. Intelligent enough to beat me at family game night or more suitable to help his little brother with math homework. This near teenager may be speeding toward the angst of those dreaded in-between years, but he still reveals precious snippets of the tender little boy I recall from treasured toddler years gone by.

Those hidden hugs from behind when I am making dinner. Those looks of half-entertained, half-annoyed intrigue when I try to use his pre-adolescent lingo but fail miserably. The wild bedhead he wakes up with every morning. The toothpaste on the mirror because he refuses to spit directly into the sink. The sweaty hugs at the end of his basketball and football games. The innocent stares and small twinkle in his eye when I ask about his seldom talked about girlfriend.

So many small, heartrending moments I want to pause and get lost in forever.

It is so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life. The hustle and bustle of sports practices, game nights, homework woes, studying for tests, birthday parties, school events, and church events.

Not to mention how each son clambers about, spreading his wings farther away from home with each passing day until one day, his flight lands him in a new home, separate from the nest in which he originated. That is a day I dread. It is also a day I know charts new territory for this child, daily making small strides toward manhood.

I will embrace the changes. I will welcome the constant need for just a little more of that independence he craves. I will tearfully allow my baby to branch out, farther and farther away.

The tables slowly turn when the child becomes the caretaker, comforter, and nurturer to the parent who has always tried to be all-encompassing in her eternal blessing of motherhood.

But on days I feel overwhelmed, emotionally spent, and in need of a little something extra, I will tearfully accept his favorite well-worn, fuzzy KC Chiefs blanket. 

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Check out our new Keepsake Companion Journal that pairs with our So God Made a Mother book!

Order Now
So God Made a Mother's Story Keepsake Journal

Manndi Maphies Wilkins

I am a boy momma of two, who works at a School of Pharmacy and enjoys freelance writing on the side. I enjoy sharing my daily adventures as a (former) single mom with anyone who will read them. Life is full of ups…and downs…and then more ups. The joy is in the journey and if others find my journey humorous, relatable, and inspiring, I will never quit sharing it! So happy to connect with such an inspiring group of writers!

Each Child You Raise is Unique

In: Kids, Motherhood
Three little boys under a blanket, black-and-white photo

The hardest part about raising children? Well, there’s a lot, but to me, one major thing is that they are all completely different than one another. Nothing is the same. Like anything. Ever. Your first comes and you basically grow up with them, you learn through your mistakes as well as your triumphs. They go to all the parties with you, restaurants, sporting events, traveling—they just fit into your life. You learn the dos and don’ts, but your life doesn’t change as much as you thought. You start to think Wow! This was easy, let’s have another. RELATED: Isn’t Parenting...

Keep Reading

Our Kids Need Us as Much as We Need Them

In: Kids, Motherhood
Little boy sitting on bench with dog nearby, color photo

During a moment of sadness last week, my lively and joyful toddler voluntarily sat with me on the couch, holding hands and snuggling for a good hour. This brought comfort and happiness to the situation. At that moment, I realized sometimes our kids need us, sometimes we need them, and sometimes we need each other at the same time. Kids need us. From the moment they enter the world, infants express their needs through tiny (or loud) cries. Toddlers need lots of cuddling as their brains try to comprehend black, white, and all the colors of the expanding world around...

Keep Reading

Your Kids Don’t Need More Things, They Need More You

In: Faith, Kids, Motherhood
Mother and young girl smiling together at home

He reached for my hand and then looked up. His sweet smile and lingering gaze flooded my weary heart with much-needed peace. “Thank you for taking me to the library, Mommy! It’s like we’re on a date! I like it when it’s just the two of us.” We entered the library, hand in hand, and headed toward the LEGO table. As I began gathering books nearby, I was surprised to feel my son’s arms around me. He gave me a quick squeeze and a kiss with an “I love you, Mommy” before returning to his LEGO—three separate times. My typically...

Keep Reading

This Time In the Passenger Seat is Precious

In: Kids, Motherhood, Teen
Teen driver with parent in passenger seat

When you’re parenting preteens and teens, it sometimes feels like you are an unpaid Uber driver. It can be a thankless job. During busy seasons, I spend 80 percent of my evenings driving, parking, dropping off, picking up, sitting in traffic, running errands, waiting in drive-thru lines. I say things like buckle your seat belt, turn that music down a little bit, take your trash inside, stop yelling—we are in the car, keep your hands to yourself, don’t make me turn this car around, get your feet off the back of the seat, this car is not a trash can,...

Keep Reading

So God Made My Daughter a Wrestler

In: Kids, Motherhood
Young female wrestler wearing mouth guard and wrestling singlet

God made my girl a wrestler. Gosh, those are words I would never have thought I would say or be so insanely proud to share with you. But I am. I know with 100 percent certainty and overwhelming pride that God made my girl a wrestler. But it’s been a journey. Probably one that started in the spring of 2010 when I was pregnant with my first baby and having the 20-week anatomy ultrasound. I remember hearing the word “girl” and squealing. I was over the moon excited—all I could think about were hair bows and cute outfits. And so...

Keep Reading

A Big Family Can Mean Big Feelings

In: Faith, Kids, Motherhood
Family with many kids holding hands on beach

I’m a mother of six. Some are biological, and some are adopted. I homeschool most of them. I’m a “trauma momma” with my own mental health struggles. My husband and I together are raising children who have their own mental illnesses and special needs. Not all of them, but many of them. I battle thoughts of anxiety and OCD daily. I exercise, eat decently, take meds and supplements, yet I still have to go to battle. The new year has started slow and steady. Our younger kids who are going to public school are doing great in their classes and...

Keep Reading

You May Be a Big Brother, but You’ll Always Be My Baby

In: Kids, Motherhood
Mother with young son, color photo

It seems like yesterday we were bringing you home from the hospital. Back then, we were new parents, clueless but full of love—a love that words can hardly explain. I can vividly recall holding you in my arms, rocking you in the cutest nursery, and singing sweet lullabies, just like yesterday. I can picture those times when you were teeny-tiny, doing tummy time, and how proud I was of you for lifting your head. And oh, the happiness on your face when “Baby Shark” played over and over—that song always made you smile! We made sure to capture your growth...

Keep Reading

“It Looks and Tastes Like Candy.” Mom Shares Warning about THC Gummies All Parents Need to Hear

In: Kids, Living, Teen
Hand holding bottle of THC gummies

What Aimee Larsen first thought was a stomach bug turned out to be something much more terrifying for her young son. Her 9-year-old woke up one day last week seeming “lethargic, barely able to stand or speak,” his mom shared in a Facebook post. At first, she assumed he had a virus, but something about his behavior just didn’t seem right. She called an ambulance and asked her older sons if their brother might have gotten into something, like cough syrup or another over-the-counter medicine. Their answer? “Yeah, THC gummies.” THC gummies are an edible form of cannabis that contain...

Keep Reading

My Child with Special Needs Made His Own Way in His Own Time

In: Kids, Motherhood
Mother holding child's hand walking across street

I want to tell you the story of a little boy who came to live with me when he was three years old. Some of you may find this story familiar in your own life. Your little boy or girl may have grown inside you and shares your DNA or maybe they came into your life much older than three. This little boy, this special child, my precious gift has special needs. Just five short years ago, he was a bit mean and angry, he said few understandable words, and there was a lot about this world he didn’t understand. Unless...

Keep Reading

Dear Daughter as You Grow into Yourself

In: Kids, Motherhood, Tween
Girl in hat and dress-up clothes, color photo

My daughter, I watched you stand in front of the mirror, turning your body left and right. Your skirt was too big and your top on backward. Your bright blue eyeshadow reached your eyebrows and bold red blush went up to your ears. You didn’t care. I watched you marvel at your body, feeling completely at ease in your skin. You turned and admired yourself with pride. You don’t see imperfections. You don’t see things you are lacking. You see goodness. You see strength. RELATED: Daughter, When You Look in the Mirror, This is What I Hope You See I’m...

Keep Reading