I remember the moment it was confirmed I was going to have the joy of being a mother. There were no at home pregnancy tests in those days.
You had to go to the doctor and tell them about your new GI symptoms, increasing bust size, and menstrual periods being late.
You then had to have tests and wait for the results to see if you had a disease or something much more joyful to look forward to.
Jay and I were both home the afternoon the nurse in the doctor’s office called with the results. She said, “Congratulations, Mrs, Jones, you’re going to be a mother!”
And, of course, more accurately I was already a mother at that time. Jay and I sat on the floor under that wall phone and held each other, as it sank in that our lives were about to change monumentally.
And it did. From the first feeling that a butterfly was loose in my body to the poking, prodding and frank kicks from inside, Jr. made her presence known.
We had to call her junior because we did not know whether the baby was a boy or a girl. In those days, people often did not know until the baby was delivered.
Jr. and I had quite a bond after I passed the point of thinking I was going to throw her up. In fact, we had such a bond that she attempted to make it a permanent arrangement. The due date came and went, and she refused to budge.
At over ten months, I told the doctor if he did not do something, I would lie across the door to his office and make his patients step over me.
The threat worked. She was evicted the next day by C section. This was good with me since she was breech and the size of a one month old.
It’s been quite a few years now, but I still remember the wonder of holding that beautiful baby and realizing I was really a mother. Jr. became Jennifer.
And oh the stories I could tell about being a mother to a child, who was both sweet and sassy, charming, witty and at times too smart for me to have a good comeback. When you are ready to lecture your kid for what appears to be a problem and then they give you an explanation that you know should not make sense, but it does … you’re stuck.
Jennifer taught me so much about life. Her endless questions and comments caused me to reevaluate what I thought I knew.
We always talked. When she was younger, she rode with me. When she was old enough to drive, I rode with her. The car became our chat room. Problems were solved. Dreams were hatched.
I never understood the feelings of sadness I had after Jennifer was born. After all, my body was celebrating relief after the long pregnancy. Jennifer was still right there with me.
And yet a part of me wanted us to be attached forever. Maybe it was a premonition of what would come years later.
Motherhood is about giving your child both roots and wings. Roots were easier than wings. After navigating childhood and teen years, there came the big change.
College began to put physical distance between us. Careers after college increased the distance. We talked. We FaceTimed.
But I had to face the fact my baby was not an extension of me. She was not even a copy of me. She had grown up ideas that were different from me. We both had to learn that was ok.
And then came the next delight of life. Jennifer gave us a son in law. And I got to see my daughter as a wife. This started a whole new way to bond as we could talk woman to woman about our men.
And then came the next peak of motherhood. Jennifer became a mother and I became a grandmother!
And the joys just kept coming. She and the family moved back to our area. They live right down the road. So, not only do I get the joy of seeing the grandchild grow up, I get to see the mother Jennifer has become.
It’s quite an experience to hear her say things I once said to her. And also to hear what I did not say. I am a lot more relaxed with the grandchild, who pretty much has me wrapped around his little finger.
Grandma advocates for him regularly and tries to get his Mom to lighten up. When I tell her I am the mother and what I say should go, she tells me I am like the Queen Mother, loved and respected, but essentially having no power.
And so we continue on this Mother’s Day 2026. I am filled with gratitude that God gave me the honor of being a mother to a remarkable young woman who is also a wonderful mother.
Happy Mother’s Day, Jennifer!
