The Marks of a Mother

I have the marks of a mother of  four and I proudly wear them these days. When I look at my big rounded belly with marks engraved on it I am reminded that I have carried four lives within my very own. Some of those  journeys have been long and some have been short. Some of them filled with their share of joy and sorrows, but all of them filled with much love.

The first thing I thought about when I saw this picture was "Oh..... look at my big round belly ........and my stretch marks! I love them!" I know that sounds crazy! When we were shooting these pictures I asked my ever sweet photographer if I could have a pic with my naked belly. I get one every time I'm pregnant and each one is cherished. I am proud of my big bare bump! It displays that I am growing a life....a little person inside of me, and that in itself is a beautiful privilege .

A lot of women are embarrassed by their badges or "marks" of life and they often seek diligently to find remedies to erase the sight of them.  However, I choose to embrace the marks of a mother because they are a reminder to me of how God has chosen to give women, one like me,  the privilege of carrying one of his precious gifts into the world. Each belly with its marks displays a life that has been shaped by God and stretched in all sorts of directions to be delivered to an expected end. Everyone's life is shaped and pulled in such similar ways in that we all go through so many journeys in our life. Each one having its own ups and downs. Pregnancy is much the same way as we go through different stages.

There are times when we're sick and we hurt with pain, times when we glow with happiness and health, and times when we are anxious and we just want it over so we can hold our babies safely in our arms. Each stage bringing us to an expected end.

The pregnancy may be over but the marks of a mother still remain. What a reminder of how God has blessed us with miracles of life and how He has brought us safe thus far. He gives us these marks of a mother upon our bodies that may fade with time but are never truly erased.

I have so many marks of a mother that I am privileged to bear. Some I wear on my body ,some I wear on my heart. However, each mark is one that has shaped my life into the beautiful role of a mother.

A mark for every breath you took, every blink, every sleepy yawn. 

One for every time you sucked your thumb,waved hello, closed your eyes and slept in the most perfect darkness. 

One for every time you had the hiccups. 

One for every dream you dreamed within me.

It isn't very pretty anymore, some may even think its ugly. 

Thats OK. 

It was YOUR home. 

Its where I first grew to love you, 

Where I lay my hand as I dreamed about who you were and who you would be. 

It held you until my arms could

And for that, I will always find something beautiful in it! 

AUTHOR  UNKNOWN