A Mother Duck...

We love the idea of publicly thanking moms. We don't do that enough. It somehow costs more to do it this way. It's more meaningful perhaps.  The other awesome thing about The 1K Moms Project is that it helps other Moms and their families. How appropriate since that is what moms are all about. Helping others -- particularly their families.

The story about the mother duck plucking her own feathers to line the nest really resonates with our family. 

Houses may be bought, built, or borrowed.But homes can only be made.And only with bits of ourselves.

When you build a home, you start with a blank slate. It only comes together (both as a house and a home) with "bits of ourselves."  Jolyn poured much more than her own feathers into our previous home.  She was all in -- making sure that every detail, every decision was going to bless her family.

“Mother ducks pick feathers from their chests to line their nests.” She lines the nest with bits of herself — the best of herself.  A mother cups her brood not with leftovers — but with her own sacrifice. The pain of the plucking can linger long.

The parts of oneself sacrificed, this can hurt.

Especially, if we have to flee the nest made with so much love.  Especially, if we have to sacrifice in order to sell that nest. Especially if we have to start 'building' a new nest all over again.  This can hurt.

On the first Mother's Day in our new home:

Prayers to Him who plucked hard from His own heart.A sacrifice, staggering and true, for love of His very own.We learn love from His laid down.Tired heads nestle into pillows, into these pillows of down.We rest on all these feathers plucked…

And give thanks for His tremendous gift to us -- a mother who makes our house a home by her love and sacrifice.