Leaving You

Dear Micah and Liam -

Some recent national headline news was about a young mother from Ohio. She never returned from a shopping trip one Saturday, and her car was subsequently found in the parking lot of a park near her home with the tires slashed and the keys in the ignition. Soon there was a nationwide hunt for this mother, who had a husband and a one-year-old daughter waiting for her at home. The hope for her safe return faded as more and more time passed.

Several days later, she was found alive. But she wasn't in danger and she wasn't hurt. Instead, she had fled to Florida with a new boyfriend, and simply just walked away from her life. There was nothing and no one preventing her from returning home and seeing her daughter. Instead, she just said she was overwhelmed with life as a working mother, and when her (also married) boyfriend talked about just walking away from it all and driving to Florida, her response was "take me with you."

This story broke my heart for several reasons. The feeling of being trapped and sometimes wanting to just get away are things that, I think, every mother can relate to, especially in the middle of those difficult and repetitive days. Before having the two of you, I had repeatedly heard that motherhood was the most difficult job on earth. Now, having experienced, I believe that it is.

But there is a huge difference between this woman in Ohio and me. Nothing could ever voluntarily keep me from you. Nothing. I could never just walk away from you and look to start a new life somewhere else. Because you are my life. Caring for you and nurturing you and playing with you and helping you become men is my full-time job, and it's the best thing I could ever choose to do with my life.

You're going to worry about a lot of things in life as you get older. You'll worry about homework and playing sports and eventually girls and maybe even where you'll got to college and who you'll marry. But one thing you will never have to worry about is my devotion to you. As long as it is within my power to do so, I will always be there for you. I will always support you. And no matter what, I will always love you.

May you always rest easy knowing that your Mommy is here, and your Mommy will never leave.

Love,
Mommy