After having our two most awesome children, my wife and I didn’t sleep uninterrupted 2 nights in a row for 6 years. In the malls and around town, we saw all of the other perfect and well-rested parents pushing perfect children in perfect strollers looking perfect like a JC Penney ad. Yes, we were pushing our perfect kids in our perfect strollers.

But lack of sleep had us both red eyed, grumpy and wandering around aimlessly like homeless drunks on the sidewalk of Beale St….with a stroller.   It seemed grossly unfair at the time. But, we persevere because we love our children like we love our left ventricles.

Recently, I ran into this woman at Lowes and the first thing I saw was all of these 4 beautiful little chics gathered lovingly around their smiling and pleasant mother hen. Then, I noticed she had shoulder straps on that were attached to something on her back. I was like ‘please, for all that is Holy, let that be a backpack full of juice boxes’.

But then she turned to the side and heavens to Murgatroyd, she had yet ANOTHER little human attached to her back! This one rode quietly in the back carrier. All of these kids were so well mannered, well groomed, happy and smiling it was downright surreal. It was like running into the Von Trap family where I might expect one of the little girls to jump into a shopping cart and break into ‘do, a deer, a female deer.’.

Yes, I’m the type to walk up to a total stranger and inquire about things that intrigue me. I’m arguably gifted like that.

So I approached her to compliment her and her well mannered children. And also to inquire if she had actually birthed all of these well mannered children. If not, then how did she procure all of these perfect little babies? Had she borrowed some of them and was doing some sort of  research paper for a class on perhaps ‘how to live your life to the absolute fullest’?

We had a brief conversation in the gardening department about her exceptional life. I didn’t want to keep her too long because I was sure someone in her cute little bunch would need something at any given minute. Her name is Carrie and she agreed to be photographed and let me write this piece about her and her family.  Her road to motherhood began with her marriage 9 years ago. One year later the oldest was born and the rest just sort beautifully cascaded down from that one.

It’s hard to conceive all of that love around the table and in that one house. I have 3 siblings, but we were all very spread apart in years, so it was rare that we were ever all at home at once and around the table. But when we are all blessed to be together now, it’s a special time.

I’m sure that Carrie’s and her husband’s life can’t all be quite that perfect. The dating years are around the corner and I personally don’t envy that part of their upcoming lives. But right now, there’s surely to be homework, cupcakes to take to a party, art projects to make, stomach viruses, teething and food accidents.

After having 2 kids, instead of the ‘light and airy’ bright white kitchen that my wife expected and had, we realized later that we would have done better to have went with a nice kitchen decorative mix of styles named ‘spilled red Kool Aid and smeared Modern Little Debbie’.

Given that the national average is around 2 children per mother, I’d say this woman Carrie deserves something special this Mother’s Day. Maybe one rose per child? A bubble bath (alone) in a quiet room with a locked door and a good book? A spa day? Or all of the above?

I didn’t ask her what she wanted for this Mother’s Day 2017, but based on what I observed that day in Lowes, her big smile and the smiles of all of those sweet children, I can pretty much bet that Carrie has everything that Carrie has ever wanted in Carrie’s life.

And it’s all right there gathered around her.

Years later, our two children have grown into amazing and responsible adults. They both sleep well now as do we.

Happy Mother’s Day 2017 to all of you wonderful, multitasking, cupcake cooking, poopy diaper changing, homework helping, boo boo soothing and nighttime snuggling mothers out there.

That’s the best that I can tell about it,

~Mark

p.s., I gave her this blog name but it could have gotten lost. So if you know Carrie, please let her know about this blog entry. Thanks!