Do you know the secret to being a “successful” or a “good” mother?

Certainly such a question is one that all moms ask themselves now and then, perhaps in different ways.

Is it really all that difficult to be mom?

It seems the world is on overload but in the recent past we have experienced events that have truly given us pause to think about what is most important about being a mom to children of any age.

In my eyes, moms are anchors and when something threatens that anchor we feel adrift in a uncertain sometimes dark sea.

How do we stay anchored for our kids?

for me it is doing the little things…

making lunch for my granddaughter,

blowing bubbles with her rather than continuing to write a grocery list or blog post….

making the beds…

planning and preparing dinner so that we can share a few moments eating and enjoying each other’s company…

reading books…playing games…drawing pictures…even if I am a pathetic artist…grandchildren don’t see our mistakes.

and when I need some “me’ time…I take it…maybe it is a Chai from Starbucks

maybe it is a conversation with a friend…

Yesterday, at the Boston Marathon, we saw how life can change in a split second as two bombs exploded at the finish line.

Runners were doing something they loved…running…they were moms, dads, brothers, sisters, friends all trying to just cross the finish line…

Today and in the tomorrows, let’s try to stop and “smell the roses” as we go about our lives before we cross our finish line…