Greet the Day with Thanksgiving and Praise

This is the day the Lord has made

Each new day is a clean slate

A chance to begin again

Greet the day with thanksgiving and praise

Don't worry

It gets you nowhere

Make a choice

To choose faith instead

Awaken and welcome the new day

Whether the sun is shining

Or the rain is falling

Greet the day with gratitude

Life is good

All the time

Every day

In every way

Instead of complaining

Choose gratitude

Instead of worry

Choose joy and happiness

When troubles come your way

Don't dwell on them

Mom always said

This too shall pass

From the rising of the sun in the East

To its setting in the West

Beauty is everywhere

Just look around you

Be grateful to God

For the sun's rays

For the moon's light

For beautiful sights

As you pass through the day

THINK before you speak

Speak what is true and helpful

Inspiring and necessary and kind

Learn about love

By watching children

They love deeply

And forgive easily

Making a living is important

But don't forget

To take the time

To make a life

Each person is unique

Created with special gifts

Be who God meant you to be

Set the world on fire

Take time each day

To be still

And take delight

In the simple pleasures of life

Let your love shine through

In all you say and do

It sounds so easy

It's all up to you

For life is beautiful

Despite the challenges

No matter the worries

You have but one life to live

Give thanks to God each day

For the blessings He gives

More than we deserve

Given freely with love

Share the love

Find joy in the simple things

Love makes the world go around

Pay it forward and pass it on

At the end of the day

Give thanks for the blessings

Faith, family, friends

Let go of your failures

Each day is a gift

It's here and then it's gone

You'll never have it again

Embrace the day and enjoy

An Ode to Mom

I didn't know you when you were young

So many years ago.

Your life stretched out before you

Your cheeks bright and aglow.

So lovely on your wedding day

What wishes were in your heart?

Could you even imagine then

The times you'd spend apart?

As a young wife and mother

You walked hand-in-hand.

Down the streets of the city

Not knowing what God had planned.

A happy family picnic

You and your three little girls.

A Coca-Cola in your hand

Your hair swept up in curls.

The beauty of a mother's love

Is written in your eyes.

As you hold your firstborn son up high

Reaching to the skies.

By the time I came along

As baby number five.

I'm sure that there were days

It was all you could do to survive.

You didn't drive but you packed up kids

And traveled so far away.

To distant lands to make a home

Where kids were free to play.

Could you have imagined as a bride on your wedding day

You'd have two sons born in another land?

Your life would be lived so far from Wisconsin

Would you have said yes if you knew beforehand?

When we lived in Alabama

Your heart just wasn't there.

How much happier you were back in Kansas

An answer to your prayer.

As your children grew and needed you less

You reached out with arms open wide.

To embrace so many Girl Scouts

Taking life as it came in stride.

Your older kids moved out

Some moved far from home.

From time to time we all returned

From places where we'd roamed.

Grandkids soon outnumbered

Your family of eight little ones.

You gladly welcome each new baby

Granddaughters and grandsons.

Although you lived so far away

Wisconsin remained near and dear.

Your heart embraced your heritage

Wherever you lived on earth's sphere.

Some of your grandkids lived so far away

And others lived nearby.

You didn't whine and complain

Or get angry and ask why.

When all of us traveled home

The joy was etched upon your face.

Although the room was noisy

You handled it with grace.

What a massive group of grandkids

Your legacy to carry on.

None of us knew then that in so few years

Your work on earth would be done.

The children of your two youngest kids

What a blessing to behold.

Loved just like their older cousins

Treasures as though made of gold.

Of all the places you lived

And all the cities where you roamed.

There was no place better than your own front porch

For you, it was home sweet home.

When the weather was too cold

And your strength began to fade.

Your davenport was your place to be

Jayhawks and Snoopys all arrayed.

It's still hard to believe you're gone from us

But in Heaven, all things are made new.

As you wander God's streets paved with gold

Know how much we love and miss you.

"You take it as it comes"

One of your favorite things to say.

I know we'll all be together again

One bright and shiny day.

How Being a Mom Changed My Life

Like many moms-to-be, I read the books and took the classes. I was raised in a big family and also did some babysitting as a teen, so I thought I'd know exactly what to do when I became a mom.

March 15 will always be a special date in the timeline of my life; the day I became a mom. Life before motherhood was all about me, a night owl who liked to sleep late.

Then came Jenny, an early riser who woke up hungry for milk and mommy's embrace. From my oldest child, I learned selflessness. As a tiny infant, it was really difficult to keep Jenny awake to eat enough to fill her. She would doze off, then wake up crying again when I tried to put her back in bed.

Every time I look at my firstborn child, I remember sleepless nights followed by early mornings, the warmth of her skin against mine, the sound of her quiet breathing as she fell asleep in my arms, and the helplessness I felt when she cried and I couldn't calm her.

One of my fears when I was pregnant with my second child was that I wouldn't have enough love for both of my children. Jenny was a happy toddler who chatted constantly. We read books and played and she filled my time and my heart.

On March 21, three years and a few days after Jenny's birth, my second daughter Lauren was born. Lauren was an easy baby who woke up happy and rarely cried.

From my second child, I learned the math that every mom of more than one child knows -- that love divided quickly multiplies.

After Lauren was born, I often needed more than two hands. But I never needed more than one heart. My mom always said that she loved us all the same.

As a mom, the reality I learned from parenting two little ones is that you love each of your children as they need to be loved. Watching my girls interact filled me with love and joy.

I was tired all the time when I was pregnant with my third child. I worked midnight shift and slept in bits and pieces. During the daytime, I often volunteered at Lauren's preschool and Jenny's school.

On October 15, my son Jack was born. Jenny had turned 5 years old and Lauren had turned 2 years old in March. Life was busy -- how would I ever fit the needs of a new baby into our lives?

The girls doted on their baby brother. They wanted to do everything with him, even when he was way too tiny to actually play with them.

Full-time work and motherhood don't mesh well. There was always more to do than time to do it all. What I learned from my son is that the most important things in life aren't things. Kids grow up too quickly and parents need to make time to have fun.

I discovered a mom truth that my Mom learned years before me. A messy house is trumped by a warm spring day, beckoning us outdoors to play. Dishes in the sink aren't as important as playing My Little Ponies or Matchbox cars.

Babies grow into toddlers and teens as the years fly by at warp speed. Your little ones busy with ballet, soccer and preschool soon become middle school and high school kids busy with friends and activities. Blink your eyes and your kids have grown into adults.

When Kenny and I married, he was a package deal. Stephanie and Brian didn't grow inside of me, but they grew in my heart. Blended family life has its ups and downs, but life goes on and life is good.

When I look at my grown children, a part of me yearns for the busy days of their childhood. I wouldn't trade the memories for all the money in the world. My life was wrapped up in my kids and I'm so much richer for the gift of motherhood.

There are no words to describe what it's like to see your daughter holding her newborn baby. Being a first-time grandma is a little bit like reliving your parenting years. You aren't the boss this time around, but you already know how quickly the years go by and how precious each memory will be.

When you're a grandma, life is never boring. Seeing your precious grandchild enjoy new places and experiences is priceless.

Everything old really is new again when you're a grandma. A ho-hum day is brightened by a little voice whispering, "Grandma, you're the best" in your ear.

Like the birth of a second child, your heart expands when your second grandchild is born. You relive your baby's childhood through new eyes as you watch her parent her own baby.

The first grandchild may worry that a new grandchild means less love from grandma. What they don't know is that a grandma's heart -- like a mom's heart -- expands with love for each child.

Cousin love is a lot like sibling love. Sometimes they get along with each other and their love is easy to see, but other times they tease and squabble with each other.

And then there were three. A new baby granddaughter warms a grandma's heart. Sons and daughters each bring different gifts to the world and so do grandsons and granddaughters.

Life constantly marches forward. Time stands still for no man -- or grandma. Several years have passed since this Easter memory was made, but it still brings a smile to my face and warms my heart. For me, being a mom and grandma means that a part of my heart will always live outside my body.

Blogging Grandma Sandy, signing off for now.  

Portions of this blog post were originally published on Yahoo! Voices May 1, 2013