It was a burp
that woke my baby
when he was sleepin’
inside his bed
I thought that bedtime
was all done now
until I heard
those piercing cries
It was burp
that woke my baby
and with tears
did fill his eyes
I should have burped him
after I nursed him
but I clean gone ‘n forgot
He was asleepin’
oh, oh, so peaceful
and I felt free as a bird
It was a burp
that burst my bubble
and made bedtime come once again
Oh, oh, here we go once again!
Did baby have fun eating out at the swanky vegetarian east-side eatery?
Why yes!
Forget the yellow curry with taro root, kale, yam, tofu and broccoli.
The beer pads were delicious!
One must have priorities, you know.
And now…enough chatting…back to business!
No matter what I do, I can’t shake the paparazzi, even when posing as a Hawaiian tourist…They know my every move!
I can’t get away with anything before it’s on the news! Mom says she could pretend to be perfect and only put pictures of me eating pears, but she’d rather make you laugh…
Did it work?
Inspired by Carly Marie, I wrote my daughter’s name in the sand the day after Mother’s Day. It was beautiful to have a peaceful afternoon at the beach…quiet time to honour her memory as my other kids played in the sand. Being there under the giant sky with the ever moving ocean I felt timeless…connected to eternity, and to my little baby girl who entered it before me.
I was so touched to receive this thoughtful little gift, a bag of candies with this lovely quote from a friend of mine. She is very a unassuming and gentle person, but full of warmth and sweetness. She found time, while caring for and homeschooling her 10 kids, to make me this. I think her actions confirm the quote!
Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers out there, whether your children are big or small, clambering all over you like squirrels or calling long distance.
A special hug and prayer for all mothers who have lost children, or who haven’t been able to have any…at least ones staying with them on earth. You desire to love and give yourself to others makes your heart just as much a mother’s heart as mine. May God bless you! 
Above all, let’s remember that with all its joys and challenges, motherhood is a gift…we have been entrusted with the care of amazing little people…may we rejoice in that and be confident that with grace, we can be the mothers we are meant to be, despite all our imperfections. So today let’s not compare ourselves or see how we measure up…let’s celebrate all mothers and encourage each other to keep loving our families with all our hearts!
So for some reason things were hitting me harder than usual this week, and my perceptive friend noticed and decided a mommy date was in order. Some time to decompress. So we both arranged babysitters (small miracle) and took off to a fancy part of town to have tea and scones at a classy café. Creamy earl grey tea and a heart shaped cheese scone with Devonshire cream and raspberry jam. Very civilized!
We settled in our cosy wicker basket seats by the window to talk. After some chit chat we got into discussing the mystery of suffering. I say mystery not problem, because as philosophers explain, problems are things that can be fixed, like a broken clock, while mysteries are things to be entered into. The heart cannot be fixed simply by turning certain screws or thinking certain thoughts. Some wounds remain forever…not in the sense of being deadly, but in the sense of forever transforming a person’s heart.
Having both experienced deep suffering and loss, we agreed that there is really no answer to the “problem” of suffering….in the sense of a solution that makes it all go away or become fine. To treat sorrow as a problem to be fixed is to trivialize grief. Sometimes the worst thing a person can do is to try to make it all better by explaining it away or giving little pat answers to the great mystery of suffering.
The pain of losing someone (a child, a spouse, a best friend), is not something that needs minimized with band-aide phrases meant to make you feel better. Instead, suffering needs to be entered into, acknowledged, faced. So my sweet friend, noticing me a little discouraged, suggested a visit to my little Jo. We hadn’t been to the graveyard to see her since we moved, and I was feeling it. After our tea we bought her the prettiest little pot of flowers we could find, did some therapeutic window shopping, and got take-out to go have a picnic with her.
I told my friend, as we sat with my little daughter, sleeping beneath her flowers, about a poem I had written shortly before she was stillborn, back in those innocent days when I had no idea what was going to happen. It was called “Mama’s waiting to hold you.” Of course it hurts to read it. But there’s a kind of prayer at the end, which I do feel was answered, just in a radically different way than I expected. I ask that my daughter be blessed, and through her for God to bless the world.
You could say, “How awful, how ironic…” but I don’t think of it this way. I feel she is very blessed…very safe, happy, free from any sadness or danger…that she is glowing like a little jewel in the Heavens, and so fully her little sweet self. And I know that she has brought many blessings, and continues to touch many lives. She continually transforms me, and helps my heart to grow.
It is hard not to have her with me in my arms. But …
There are no shadows
Without the sun,
No darkness of the cross falling upon my soul
Without the brilliance of glory
Shining behind it,
Awaiting me
With hidden brightness…
There is mystery. There is sorrow. There is hope. I cannot explain it. I can only embrace it, and do so strengthened by the love of those people willing to share this journey with me. To all who do so, thank you.
Sometimes when you’re tired it feels like the world is ending, even though everything is actually ok. So this is a shout out for all the moms out there who had a bad day, or even a bad week, and don’t want to feel alone. If you’re tired of airbrushed social media images of perfection, this post is for you.
So it all started with running out of coffee. Think alarm bells and
Code red, code red: mom down, mom down!
A disaster of epic proportions…leading to an immediate need to at least consume extra chocolate. So how ’bout you join me? Here’s a chocolate quiz. Eat one chocolate for every time you answer yes (chocolate chip or chocolate bar? That’s up to you!).
Well, my friends, you’re not alone! Hope you’re munching something yummy, and ignoring those little ugly voices that sneak up when you’re tired and tell you you’re not good enough. If you’re worn down and feel like you have nothing left to give, it’s likely because you gave it all already. Like a fireman, you’ve been putting out fires all day…so the smoke and dust are a sign you’ve worked hard. Battle scars!
Motherhood is a tough job, and requires all your strength and all your heart. Chances are you’re doing an awesome job…not perfect, but awesome, so keep it up, and here’s to moms everywhere, struggling to love their little ones and make their homes happy, even when disaster strikes, and the coffee runs out!
Day of silence
Of exhausted aftermath
Of unbelief
Can it really have happened??
The strangeness of life continuing
Just as it had before
Yet—on the inside—
Earth-shatteringly different
Every mother who has lost a child
Knows this feeling
In the core of her soul
In her hollowed-out heart
In her empty aching arms
The day after death
For most of us
The long wait for reunion
For resurrection
Lasts a lifetime
One long Holy Saturday
Until death breaks the silence
And we hear our babies laugh
To endure this day
Stay close to the mother of the one they pierced
No sorrow deeper
No love stronger
No patience more graceful
Than that of the one who spent that Holy Saturday
Weeping tears of hope
Interview with Tami Kiser, founder and creator of http://www.CatholicConference4Moms.com
Please tell us a little bit about yourself:
Gladly. I am Tami Kiser, aka, Smart Martha in some circles. I live in Greenville, SC with my husband of 28 years. We have 10 children (ages 3-26) and 5 grandchildren. DH is a headmaster at a Catholic School and most of my time is spent managing this large brood providing family dinners, essay edits, haircuts, rides, stories, and lots of advice (mostly unsolicited). I also teach dance part-time and work on this exciting conference whenever I get the chance.
What is the “Faces of Mercy” 2016 Catholic Conference 4 Moms?
It is simply an online conference for this coming Year of Mercy, particularly catered to moms. It is set up so that Mom’s groups or parishes can use the presentations to put together their own simple conference/retreat/mom’s day out. So far, we have about 25 parishes all over the US hosting the conference. But, starting January 20, we are opening it up for individual moms to attend at their own convenience in their own homes throughout the rest of Lent.
What gave you the inspiration to do a project like this?
I was familiar with online webinars. I was also familiar with Protestant groups doing a similar thing focused on just one presenter (for 1000’s of $!). And I also ran a mom’s ministry, called Smart Martha, where I traveled to parishes and held one day seminars. I blended all these concepts together and came up with this idea. I consecrated the whole thing to Mary, and this is where we are today.
I understand the need for moms to be encouraged in their vocation and faith. I also understand how difficult that can be to fit into busy schedules. This conference with the focus on Mercy is the perfect solution. It’s even better if moms can find other moms to share it with–in a parish mom’s meeting, or at a friend’s home while kids play. And if that’s not possible, then part of an early morning quiet time or a treadmill run at the gym. The conference has the flexibility that moms need along with the great messages moms need to hear.
So the day the conference begins is February 20th?
Yes, this is the day which we are asking everyone to set aside for the conference so that we can all be united in mission and in prayer on this day. We will be live streaming a presentation by Jennifer Fuller at 10:30 EST and at 3:00 EST, we are asking everyone to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy together. But that being said, the online conference is very flexible and can accommodate many different days and weekends. If that day doesn’t work for a mom or even a mom’s group, the conference is still available from February 20th to the end of Lent in order to accommodate everyone’s busy schedules. So anytime during Lent, you can view these presentations.
Is there a cost?
For individual moms online, registration is about the price of one book, $14. Not only does this get them full online access throughout Lent, but it also gets them a conference “swag bag” which is full of online gifts and offers suitable for mothers. It also includes every presentation as a downloadable MP3. As part of the publicity of the conference, there will be great prizes awarded every day from February 8- February 25. There are discounts available through the conference affiliates for an even lower registration price.
Thank you for the interview! For all my readers, please feel free to use my coupon code “Eastland” to save $4 and register for only $10.99 (American)! Register here! Enjoy!
Amidst the chaos of packing, moving and unpacking again, a lovely big sister is such a help! Her lucky baby brother has a mini-mum!
“Here Mum,” she said, “You’re tired. Let me try the snugly.” Only nine years ago, she was the little baldy in the snugly! Now she is more organized than I am, and very maternal to boot. I am very blessed to be her mother.
Just East Of Crazy Land 