As a mother, it really begins before your children are even born.
You lift your hands up in celebration when you discover that your whole world is about to change with your child’s arrival.
As the nine months progress, you begin to lift yourself up by your arms from simple tasks like getting out of bed each morning or finding a comfortable spot in your favorite chair.
As you bring that precious gift to the world, you lift all your strength out through your tired body.
And when they finally come into your world, it doesn’t stop...it only increases.
The small, helpless baby is lifted up with security at every moan, cry or sound. The wobbling child is continuously lifted up with determination as he tries to take his first steps, falling many times at first.
And then the baby becomes a toddler, at full speed. But those hurried steps can become obstacles. As their knees hit the pavement, you’re not too far behind. Lifting them up back to their steady stance, you watch as they continue on their journey.
And time goes on. The eager toddler becomes a strong-willed child. His steps are more stable. His path seems a smoother.
But you still have to lift him up, dust him off, when he fumbles in the yard after a football fall. You lift him up with encouragement when a bad grade or a tough bully sends him home in tears from school. You lift him up with comfort when his body aches with illness from a long night with no sleep.
Before you know it, that toddler has become a teenager. And your arms pick up the pace to keep up with their stumbles.
You lift him up with love when he encounters that first heartbreak. You lift him up with confidence when he struggles to make the team. You lift him up with wisdom when he realizes he made a bad choice.
Pretty soon, that teenager has grown into a young adult. He stands tall, proud. The world is his oyster, and he manages to succeed.
Your arms may seem tired, but there is still work to do.
You must lift him up with reassurance when he decides what career path to pursue. You must lift him up with inspiration as he plans the course of his own life. You must lift up his spirits as he continues to make his own way.
Lifting is probably what is required the most of a mother. Whether it be lifting a laundry basket, an armful of toys, a heavy book bag, a tray of hot food, a clingy infant, a weak body, a tired spirit or a heavy heart...you lift, boost, raise, soar.
Your arms may become weak in time. The bones may become frail, unsteady. But they will continue to lift, lift with all their might.
Even when you feel down and weak, you manage to find the strength to lift those arms around the neck of your child in a warm embrace.
It is then that the child learns how to lift your heart and spirit. And the load becomes all the more lighter.
