The Perfect Gift

My children cleaned the whole house while I was at church this morning!

The dishes were done and the kitchen was spotless. Grace mopped the kitchen floor and cleaned the bathroom mirrors. The house was dusted, vacuumed and Noah folded laundry! And for effect, Grace lit candles. Wow, Happy Mother's Day to me.

I really must tell you how much this truly blesses me. I joked to a friend today that I was pretty spoiled already and there wasn't much I "wanted". Yesterday, I got a manicure and a pedicure and treated myself to frozen yogurt while the kids were away at friends homes. Jeremy picked up takeout last night while I cozied up in a comfy chair and watched the Lakers. Today, I had a nap planned and I just woke up. I had pretty much indulged in every Mother's Day "treat". So, this act of service was such a surprise.

I am a firm believer that we all give and receive love in different ways. Some of us like physical touch, some prefer words of affirmation and some, myself included, use service as a way of expressing love. I honestly love to serve my family. The things I do as a mother to make their life easier and more enjoyable, bring me joy. (Most of the time.) I have to giggle a bit and confess that sometimes I do complain about excessive laundry, cooking, dishes etc. But, in general doing the "mom" things is just what I do.

So, today was a special treat. I know I sound cliche when I say, I couldn't have asked for anything more. It made me feel like they really do notice all the things I do for them. I mean, they say "thank you" quite often but, today they showed thank you.

And, although I am giving all the thanks to my kids, I have a sneaking suspicion my husband was the mastermind behind the gift. So, thanks to all three of you for blessing me today. Noah and Grace had better watch out though. Now that I have seen their potential in housecleaning, we may need to up the ante in chores. But, that is a whole other blog post.