It’s impossible for me to think about mothering–my own, especially–without a fierce protectiveness.  This isn’t to say that I overlook the sweet, smiling and nurturing side of mothering.  That’s my second thought.  But children need advocates and there is none better than their mom.

Of course, they also need independence, and freedom to fall down, burn their finger, and break their arm.  Or at least do the kinds of things that can lead to bumps and bruises!  It’s a balance, and that particular balancing beam is one that I’m more likely to find myself falling off of over and over than walking along as pretty as can be.

What I’m grateful to find, as I count down to my oldest’s high school graduation, is that kids are forgiving.  As long as you get back up on that balancing beam and keep doing your very best, odds are it will be okay.  Maybe not now, maybe not tomorrow, but in the end it will be alright.

So, here’s to you, and Happy Mother’s Day!

 The little cichlid let her fins rest as she drifted with the cross-current flowing through her tank.  She was watching the soothing stream of bubbles, and dreaming of the bubble currents she’d ridden as a young fish, and that she’d one day take her little ones to ride.

As she daydreamed, her mouth relaxed and one–by one–her babies slipped out between her teeth and dodged off to play in the waving grasses.  Hide and seek was one of their favorite games, and if it brought them a little too close to the filter, the small fry agreed that only made it more fun.

An air bubble blurpped close to the mother, disturbing her, and she instinctively felt for her babies.  Her mouth was empty!  She swirled in panic before catching sight of a tiny tail disappearing into the grass.  Quick as a splash she darted through the grasses, picking up fry and holding them in her mouth as she went.

Once they were all back were they belonged, she settled herself in the current.  Soon her eyes drifted to the soothing flow of bubbles, and her jaws began to relax.  Sitting quietly in her mouth, her fry watched, and waited.

Read more flash pieces or join our Mday prompted blog hop here.  And I hope that all the moms out there will have a lovely, guilt-free day and weekend, and all the kids will have a mom or mom-person to hug!

Share, share away: