This is an occasion worthy of a few words.

I am a mother of 3. Not just a mother, but a very proud mother, who never thought I could love and feel as much as I have been, since becoming a mother 13 years ago.

Bringing life into this world, is a constant emotional roller-coaster. The world has so much beauty, both in nature and in people, combined with  so much pain, hatred and violence. Enjoying the beauty, teaching appreciation and love, teaching a child to care about others, be a part of the bigger community, teaching tolerance and empathy, while teaching them to be alert, careful, suspicions of others and their intentions, is at times scary and exhausting.

Itai, a few moments after he was born….

My biggest wish, was that all children would be loved and hugged on a daily basis. That they will all have someone to sing to them, read them books, smile at them when they wake up and be there to safe guard them at night. It breaks my heart, everyday, that it is not so.

What I love and appreciate as a mother, is being given the gift of seeing the world through the naive eyes of a child, learning everything for the first time. Seeing them react to sounds, to touch, to a warm bath, to tastes. Seeing them close their eyes when you carefully blow air in their tiny faces, or how they try to taste it when you blow near their mouth. Watching them look at you, absorb you as if they are painting a picture, a memory for life. Seeing them taste sweet and sour for the first time, grab something, laugh, cry or say their first word. Being there when they turn around, crawl or start walking. Being there when they count numbers, recognize letters or sing songs. When they develop friendships, fight, fall or learn to ride the bike.

What I love is the great honor given to me, as a mother, to be a part of their life. To cry with them, to fear for them, to look at them for hours when they are asleep and know, they will be good people, and be meaningful to so many around them.

Aya made me a mother 13 years ago and I have never regretted it. Not for a moment. Noga made me a mother of two, 9 years ago and brought new energies, laughter and adventures to our life. Itai made me a mother of a boy (and not “just” girls), 5 years ago and taught me a whole new way of looking at the world. He taught us hope, belief and that it all comes down to health and to the rhythm of the beat of the heart. They have all brought the world to me, they all mean the world to me and I am lucky to have the most amazing, loving, involved partner to share all of this with. Being a family, like a puzzle, is seeing the whole perfect picture, made out of so many small imperfect pieces.

Thank You to my mother for being all she has been and is to me, to my wise sister for being there for me when I was a first time mother, to all the woman who have been role models in my life, to my dad for being such an important piece  in my puzzle and to the love of my life, who has made all this possible, and makes it possible everyday!

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you mother’s out there, and to all of you who are a part of this great puzzle we all create together!