Tricky, Sneaky Inspiration

There is a book I have read about (and I'm not kidding) 1,000 times. It is Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman. Abby loved this book when she was a tiny girl. Now our other tiny girl loves it too. Today as I was reading this book for the 1,000th time, something hit. I received that lovely little gift of inspiration.

Do you pray? I do. I pray at weird times. Prayer makes me feel like high maintenance. I know it shouldn't, but it does. I end up praying in the bathtub, driving carpool, washing dishes - anything mundane - it's just when I feel like I have a moment to say "Hey!" to the big guy and discuss some issues. Lately my prayers have been a little different. I, honestly, don't know something. I have no clue. I can't find any meaning or reason. I really need someone smarter than me to turn to - so I pray honest, inquiring prayers. I love getting an answer - even if it's a little obscure (Jesus taught in an indirect way, right?!).

The story of Are You My Mother is about a little bird who hatches from his shell to find himself all alone. He falls out of his nest, which is high up in a tree, and proceeds to go forth in search of his mother. He's a baby after all. He doesn't know what she looks like, smells like, talks like, but he does know what she isn't (once he sees it or asks that is). By the end of the story, he is in despair. He cries out "I want to go home! I want my Mother!!" Just then, he is safely dropped into his nest and his mother returns to him. She says, "Do you know who I am?" He then proceeds to tell her all the things she isn't and then he tells her what she is, "You are a bird. And you are my mother."

Sounds a little silly? Maybe, but today something hit me. How many of us are out there wondering what we're supposed to do? What we're supposed to be? How do we find out? What directs us on our path?

This silly story has a bird asking a boat & an airplane if they are his mother. Ridiculous, right?! Or is it? How many of us go in search of absurd goals in order to find our way? The little bird never stopped. In fact, many pages say, "The little bird went on."

Today I learned from this simple story to journey. To not be afraid of asking "Are you my mother?" You just never know, until you don't know - that is.

When baby bird and mother were finally reunited, she did not scoff or make fun of him. She didn't ask, "How do you know what all those other things are?!" She hugged him and made him feel safe. He was home.

I am not ashamed to admit that today, this little book brought tears to my eyes - especially when Lily said, "Awwww!" at the very end. And especially not when I looked her in the eye and said, "I am your Mother and I love you."