Yes, Moms Matter

Mornings are the hardest. Because mornings are the times when everyone has somewhere to go. Alfie is rushing through his breakfast because he has to get to work. The Pea is rushing to get to school. 3Po and Jammy, well, preschool starts at noon but they're rushing anyway because they want to be done with breakfast and get on with whatever game they're playing that day.

Me? I'm rushing too. I'm rushing to make lunches, sign permission slips and clear up the breakfast table. Sometimes I find myself kneeling underneath the table, scrubbing away at a lump of something that was spilled from dinner the night before, hurrying to get rid of the lump before someone steps on it and squashes it and trails the lumpy stuff all over the house.

What am I doing here? Groveling on the floor like a dog, cleaning up everyone's mess while they're sitting above me, having their breakfast? I have two graduate degrees, for God's sake! I used to go places too, you know. I racked up the frequent flyer miles in my time; I was the one the airlines used to upgrade to better seats!

Yes, mornings are the hardest. Alfie, bless his heart, tells me all the time how he appreciates what I do, how there's no one else on earth he wants raising our kids. And that helps. For those under-the-table moments, when I'm feeling low and more than a little sorry for myself, I need all the reminders I can get, that I Matter. To Alfie, my kids, my relatives, my friends, to society in general.

I think all moms, whether they're under a table or behind a desk, need these pick-me-ups from time to time. They need affirmation that all this scrubbing and sacrifice Matters. That Moms Matter.

Which is why I'm happy to have found some people who actually Get It -- the founders of the Why Moms Matter Project . The bloggers behind MomFaves (Josh and Rebecca) and ExtraordinaryMommy (Danielle) are going to feature an inspirational mother every week on their new Blog Talk Radio show, Why Moms Matter -- to remind every mother that they do matter, and why. The show starts on March 6 and runs every Friday at 12:30 PST. If you know a mother or grandmother who Matters, you can go over and nominate her over at www.WhyMomsMatter.com.