When I Feel Like an Ordinary Mom (a five minute friday)

My Five Minute Friday on: Ordinary

Once a month my son's elementary school has a "reward" day to celebrate good behavior. It is one of the rare opportunities for parents to volunteer, so I usually sign-up to help.

I'm standing on the precipice, friends — watching my son walk head-first into adolescents.

I asked him this morning if he likes that I come. Most parents don't and I was worried I had missed the kid memo telling me it's no longer cool for me to be there.

I'm an ordinary mom — nothing special.

But he said it was fine, so I took his word for it.

As I approached the concrete steps that lead into the school building I made sure I checked my ruler at the door. A room full of mom volunteers is a tempting place to prove to myself how ordinary I am.

Face painting. This was my assignment.

I'm an ordinary artist — nothing special.

Of course I was seated next to the school's art teacher and her face painting skills were extra-ordinary. So I quietly reminded myself to put down the ruler and got on with it.

I drew my fair share of boy mustaches and 1D's with a heart (for One Direction, of course). I hardly saw my son, actually. He must have heard about my mad face painting skills and decided to pass.

I did a little celebratory dance inside when time was up and went searching for my son. After saying good-bye with a nonchalant head pat I watched my son walk back to class with his friends.

But after a few steps he turned and I watched him flash me an "I love you" in sign language, down at his hip where no one else would notice.

And I flashed one back with a smile and a wink, reminded once again that no matter how ordinary I feel, I am special to him. And I'll store up those reassurances in my mom heart and dole them out to myself when he's older and forgets how much I need them.


Linking today with Lisa-Jo…