The phone is ringing

I waited six days for my firefighter/paramedic husband to return from the aftermath of the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon.  He will tell you that his efforts, and those of his first responder comrades, were not extraordinary or brave or heroic.  They did the job that they trained every day to carry out.  They answered the call.  The next day they answered another call.  It might not have been of the same magnitude to the nation, but to the family in crisis it was.

The Angels invited him to a commemoration during their baseball game against the Yankees on the tenth anniversary of 9/11.  There he met Derek Jeter.  Many will remember Jeter after his retirement this year not for any particular statistic that he accumulated, but for his reliability day in and day out.  He has had an unwavering dedication to his team and the game.  He answered the call.  He never stopped practicing, learning, growing.

Motherhood is our call.  With any luck our on-the-job training will not involve racing into burning buildings, but it will mean getting dirty and running around in circles from time to time.  We are called to be the voice of calm, the dependable one, the one who can save the day (or the science fair project).  One day the emergency might be a crooked ponytail or a sandwich not sliced into perfect triangles.  The next it might be a terrible diagnosis, a lost job, an accident.  Mothers answer the call each time because it is the job we not only have to do, but love to do. 

Our children can’t tell the difference between when we know exactly what to do and when we are making it up as we go along.  As long as we start each day anew with the love and dependability that our children crave, we are succeeding.  You are already your child’s hero, even as you worry each night about the day’s shortcomings.  Over time, the questions and insecurities fade, and a confidence to take on each challenge emerges.  So answer the call.  You are ready.