This post is part of a series I’m calling The Mother’s Project, where I will be highlighting the incredible moms in my life throughout the month of May. Check back later this week for more posts!
My favorite definition of whimsy is “excessively playful expression.” And that is totally Sherice, a little fairy of a mother. Her kids have some serious fun. Sherice will never disregard a request to play. I’ve seen her do mundane things over and over and over for her kids, simply because they thought it was fun. She delights so deeply in seeing them laugh and play—she’s a sucker for those little kid giggles.
Sherice is in the same crew as Holly, who I wrote about last week. But Sherice and I didn’t bond over food, we bonded over babies. We got close after many Sunday mornings in our church’s nursery together, talking about the difficulty of adult friendships while children screamed at us and threw Cheerios in our hair. Even then, I knew her patience exceeded mine by about 100%.
We also were in a book club together that met on Sunday evenings. She is a steadfast believer in the love of Jesus and a perpetual student of her faith. She pushes me (and many others) to ask sincere questions about where our beliefs come from, but will always point us back to what matters.
Sherice laughs more often and harder than most people, a reflection of the joy she chooses each day. You can always count on a sentence she utters about being angry or hurt or disappointed to end in a giggle. Why? Because she doesn’t like to waste minutes being sad or frustrated. I love Sherice because I can talk about hard things with her and know that she will join me in the sadness and then send me away feeling refreshed and loved.
At work, she is organized, driven, focused, and accomplished. At home, she hangs those hats up and gets on the floor with her kids. Her singular focus becomes her family and loving them well. She isn’t one for details at home, which is exactly what makes her whimsical. She is the epitome of laid back and I envy her for it. Watching her inside her own home is to see someone at their most comfortable and happiest.
Her boys will never wonder what their mother is thinking or how much she loves them. They will grow up with a keen self-awareness as well as a healthy confidence that they are capable of whatever they decide to do or be. They will be sensitive and wonderful, just like Sherice. (Boys, be kind and gentle and never stop giving her hugs.)
An exciting and final note about Sherice—she is having a baby! A little girl, to be more specific: Eden Grace. Many people have been praying and hoping for baby Eden for many, many months. She is the fulfillment of those requests and an answer to the desires Sherice’s heart. Eden has no idea how much she is loved yet, but I’m sure she’ll find out really quickly. I can’t wait to watch Sherice change as a mother as she welcomes her first girl. She is already so in tune and sensitive with her boys, I can’t imagine the special love that has been reserved for Eden.
(Congrats Sherice! We cannot wait to meet her!)