Pearl Pins - Mother's Day Guest Blogger Series

Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother's Day blog series. The series is week long celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a new post by some of today's best writer's (Tricia Goyer, Megan Alexander, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Beth Engelman, Holley Gerth, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, and more. I hope you'll join us each day for another unique perspective on Mother's Day.

AND ... do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful hand crafted pearl necklace. To enter, just click this link and fill out the short form. Contest runs 5/1-5/8 and the winner will on 5/11. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit Pearl Girls and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT Mother's Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

And to all you MOMS out there! Happy Mother's Day!

PEARL PINS by Margaret McSweeney

At age 49, I am a mom without a mom. This deep longing for my mother continues to surprise me. During milestone moments, I imagine phone conversations with her.

“Can you believe that Melissa is graduating from high school in June? I’m so glad you will be flying to Chicago to be here with us.” 

“Wasn’t that a fun family dinner we all had last weekend to celebrate Katie’s ‘sweet sixteen?’ I am so glad you could join us.”

“Isn’t this exciting? I just got a new book contract. Will you please edit my manuscript before I send it in?”

Sadly, this will be my eighth Mother’s Day to spend without my mother. She has missed some poignant milestones in my life and in the lives of my daughters. Both Melissa and Katie were very young when she died so they don’t have a full reservoir of memories about Grandmommy Rhea. However, they do have the legacy of faith that she helped instill in them as toddlers. She loved to send Veggie Tales tapes, Children’s Bibles and devotional books. 

Melissa and Katie were blessed to have Nana, (Dave’s mother) around for much longer. Nana passed away two years ago. A few years before Nana died, she gave me a beautiful necklace with a diamond pendant made from her wedding ring along with a pair of diamond earrings. She asked me to give these special gifts to Melissa and Katie for their sixteenth birthdays. Even though Nana wasn’t around to celebrate, my daughters were so happy to receive such special keepsakes from her. Hugs from heaven.

Last week on Katie’s 16th birthday, I discovered an unexpected blessing that had been tucked away in a cardboard container of my mother’s things. A jewelry box with three pearl pins! I gave one to Melissa as a belated 16th birthday gift, and I presented one to Katie for her 16th birthday. This Mother’s Day, I will wear my mother’s pearl pin as a tangible reminder that a mother’s love (and a grandmother’s love) is an everlasting gift from God.  

Finding these gifts made me think about what I might leave for my own daughters someday. It isn’t the external value of the gift that matters, but rather the love that it represents.

Is there a special gift or letter that you would like to leave your children?

Margaret McSweeney lives with her husband, David and two teenage daughters in the Chicago suburbs.  After earning a master’s degree in international business from the University of South Carolina, Margaret moved to New York City to work at a large bank where she met David.  Margaret is the editor of Pearl Girls, author of A Mother’s Heart Knows and co-author of Go Back and Be Happy. Charity and community involvement are very important to Margaret. She has served on the board of directors for WINGS (Women in Need Growing Stronger) for over eight years. For more information, find Margaret at www.pearlgirls.info and www.kitchenchat.info. 


Love,

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In 4/29/11

Well, I made to Friday, but I may not last the entire day. The two oldest children both have prom tonight and the drama may kill me. If it doesn't, I will hopefully have pictures to share of the dresses (that we paid way too much for) and the beautiful girls in them. I wish the Soldier was here for this.

Well, it is time once again for the MilSpouse Friday Fill-In, hosted by Wife of a Sailor. If you are a MilSpouse, come over and link up!

If you are looking for the MilSpouse Weekly Round Up, click here. For my book loving friends, the latest free book post is here.

1) Have you and your spouse agreed to live in separate locations (a geographical bachelor tour) knowing that the short-term inconvenience would have long-term benefits for your family? How did it work for you? submitted by When Good People Get Together

The Soldier travels a lot for his civilian job as well, so he is gone a good part of the year. We almost all moved to Texas, but it didn’t work out and then the orders were cut for this deployment. He spent six months prior to leaving on AD about 90 miles away and came home only 1-2 weekends a month. That wasn’t any fun. I am thankful that he is National Guard and won’t ever have to do a Korean tour. 

2) What is your favorite thing about being a MilSpouse? submitted by Sarah Ruth Today 

Ask me again after this deployment is over…

Honestly, the only thing I can think of is the wonderful people I have met. The MilSpouses I know are such strong women (sorry, not a lot of men here!) and it has been good to bond together and lean on each other – even just through blogs and facebook. 

3) If you could still have your spouse/significant other and your family, but take the military life out of it…would you?  submitted by Trust. Love. Believe. Bake.

Most of our almost 19 year marriage, the Soldier wasn’t a Soldier… He only joined about nine years ago. There are a lot of days that I wish he hadn’t. I hate being separated all the time, but life is what it is and being a Soldier is now a part of who he is.

4) What have your homecoming experiences been like after a year long tour of separation? submitted by Army Soldier, Army Wife 

Really, it is pretty much a blur with everyone wanting a ‘piece’ of the Soldier. I am seriously thinking of disappearing for a week or two when he comes home - so no one can come over or call. I know they want to see him too, but the kids and I need our time with him. At this point, I will probably be so totally exhausted when he comes home, I will pass out and sleep for a week!

5) If you have a child(ren) why you chose their name(s)? If not, why you would name your child something?  submitted by Tiara’s & ACU’s 

Bob (who is now 3 1/2)

Most of the names we just liked, however we have had a couple that we couldn’t agree or even come up with anything. The oldest named her little brother after her favorite television show (I promise, it is a good one) and the midwife gave him his middle name (after his daddy) since she needed to finish paperwork. The last one, we had a hard time agreeing on a name and called her Bob for a good week before actually naming her. 

Have a great weekend!

Love,

Pity Party

Today I threw myself a pity party. I even celebrated with a Starbucks Frap and a mini peanut butter cupcake.  

There goes the 15 pounds I just lost… 

Although I totally blame deployment for this breakdown, it doesn’t help that - after being on a no sugar, carb-free diet for six weeks - I gorged myself on half of the 3 year-old’s Easter basket’s contents yesterday or that I am majorly PMSing.  

I am sick and tired of being alone. Yes, there are six kids here to keep me company, but it isn’t quite the same as adult interaction. What I wouldn’t give for an hour at Starbucks with a friend… 

I know all about taking care of yourself during deployment, I wrote the book (well article anyway) on that. I even wrote the book (okay, okay  - article…) on how to help a fellow mom going through a deployment. But here I sit, having my pity party.

Don’t get me wrong, I have a ton of wonderful friends. The problem is that most of them live all over the world and not here. I guess we haven’t done a very good job of making friends since we have been here. I thought we had done better. Or maybe it is just that everyone is sick of asking “how are you doing?” and “when is he coming home?” – I know I am. 

Going to church yesterday didn’t help. Because of Easter it was held in the auditorium of the local high school, the one where they hold services if the unthinkable happens. I spent a good part wondering what it would look like draped in red, white and blue bunting. Morbid, I know, but that is where I am at. 

Add to all of that a 9 year-old having her own breakdown and a 15 year-old who enjoys making me angry and we have the perfect conditions to make one very tired mama want to run away. 

Thankfully, my amazing friend called me (not sure how she knows when I am losing it, but she always does) and told me enough. I just wish she was close enough for Starbucks. 

Pity party officially over for now, but I won’t promise that it was the last. We still have another five or six months to go… 

Linking up for the MilSpouse Weekly Roundup! Come over and join in at The Tervo Times! 

Love,