It’s Mother’s Day. The one day a year we acknowledge how truly amazing our moms are. We make lists of how awesome they are and include lots of tear jerking items like:

• She’s always there for me
• No one loves me like Mom
• Her strength and wisdom made me what I am

Blah, blah, blah… Moms are the shizz. And they are. I have had 3 moms, 4 if you include my mom-in-law. So I know a thing or two about moms. And I truly and deeply appreciate all of the women who shaped Bonnie Margaret Cox into the fine lady she is today. But today, I wanna give a shout out to my kids. 

  
Without children, I would never have become a mom and I wouldn’t have an extra day to celebrate my outstanding, awe-inspiring radness. (Not that we need an extra day for that, every single day is enough.)

But having children has taught me so much I don’t think I would have learned otherwise. Having kids has taught me the true meaning of hard work and sacrifice. You don’t understand sacrifice until you’ve had to sacrifice something in your life for your child. (And in Abraham’s case, until you have to sacrifice your child.)

Having children has taught me patience. It’s made me a little softer around the edges. It’s made me realize the importance of choosing my words wisely. And caused me to slow down and smell the roses and choose to enjoy my loved ones while I have them with me. 

I’ve learned so much about myself too. Kids are like having a little living mirror of your own brain and personality. Every bad habit and obnoxious trait are amplified in front of you. You have to learn how to change that in yourself so you can guide your little ones through the pitfalls of acting like a complete dumbass. 

And having children has completely changed how I read the Bible. I have a greater understanding of God’s love for His children because I know how I feel about mine. It’s taught me the real meaning of unconditional love and how it’s possible to completely love someone you’ve never met. 

I never wanted to have kids at a young age, IF I ever did have kids. My plan was to wait at least 10 years before we had kids. But 3 years after we got married, one night of fun without a rain coat and we were preggers. I’ll never forget Nick’s reaction when I told him I was pregnant and didn’t just have the flu. He literally grabbed his face with both hands, his back hit the wall and he slowly slid down to the floor. No words came out of his open mouth. (That makes me LOL.) We weren’t ready for a kid AT ALL. But that didn’t matter, Meghan was on the way, regardless. 

Now, I can say I wish I’d had kids earlier. I’d be a better person and I’d be much younger when my kids stop being kids. Still, I’ll be pretty young when Sam turns 18, I’ll only be 44. Nick will be 48. We can be newlyweds again. It’s gonna rock so freakin hard. 

So, yes, I’m thankful for my moms. I’m thankful for the sacrifices they made and the love they gave. But I’m equally thankful for my girls. Without them I wouldn’t be who I am now. They are, without a doubt, the best learning experience I’ve ever had and the greatest joy of my life. 

I love you, Meghan Elizabeth Cox and Samantha Anne Cox. Thanks for making me a mother.