by jessica tomes

Mother’s Day is quickly approaching. (It’s Sunday…Like, this Sunday, May 8…Just in case you didn’t know, and you haven’t bought your mom a card yet — you might want to get on that.) This Mother’s Day is especially poignant for me — this is the last Mother’s Day before we Tomes forever become a family of five. Everything is about to change, again. The change is good, but things will be different. I know this. And I want my girls (all three of them) to know that my love for them never will. I want to freeze this moment in time. And just relish in it for a second. Here are 20 promises for my sweet babies on this most special of days. Savannah, Emma Kate, and Brooklyn Olivia: this one’s for you.

20 Promises from Mom this Mother's Day...

1. I promise to love you unconditionally. All three of you. Even when you get a little older and try to raid my closet. Mommy’s designer shoes and handbags are off-limits. Get a job and buy your own.
2. I promise to support you even when you make decisions I don’t agree with — and when you fall down, I will be right there to pick you up, brush you off, and send you back out into the world.
3. I promise to introduce you to (read: force you to try) lots of different kinds of foods. Picky eaters are the worst.
4. I promise to make a concerted effort not to act like a controlling, raging, maniac. I admit it may happen on occasion — I am only human, and I want what is best for you. But I will try to keep this obnoxious behavior to a minimum.
5. I promise (to try) not to yell.
6. I promise to let you be your own person (within reason). I promise to treat each one of you as individuals, and not little mini-clones.
7. I promise to see the good always, and not dwell on the less than perfect.
8. I promise to encourage you.
9. I promise to laugh with you.
10. I promise to be silly with you.
11. I promise to be the kind of wife, mother, and friend that I would want you to become.
12. I promise not to blame you for my own (occasional) failures and unhappiness.
13. I promise that I will learn from my (parenting) mistakes.
14. I promise to try my best. Every single day. Even when I’m really, really tired.
15. I promise to say yes as often as I can.
16. I promise to teach you to be a responsible, respectable member of society.
17. I promise to teach you about God, and the beauty of living a life bigger than yourselves, and about treating your neighbors as you want to be treated. I pray that you will make the decision to have faith, and to always put faith first and foremost.
18. I promise to read to you often.
19. I promise to answer the phone when you call. No matter how late.
20. I promise to be here for you forever and always.

Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at Simply Family Magazine! xoxo

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