For most women, babies; these adorable and helpless bundles of joy are irresistible to hold and cuddle. A baby’s smile and giggles can change even a bad day into one filled with cheerfulness. Their innocence begs us to embrace them.

The helplessness of a baby causes most of us to offer our love. Why do people stop on the roadside when there is an abandoned kitten or puppy? It is human nature to care for and nurture those that can’t help themselves. So it was when I recently walked into the corner of my bathroom and found a tiny green anole. I had never seen such a tiny creature other than a bug. I could tell this little being was alive, but how in the world did “she” get in my house? There was not a door or window close and where was her mommy?

I carefully picked the tiny creature up to take her outdoors, hoping she would survive.  Surely living on a bare tile floor in a bathroom, she didn’t have a chance of survival. So why did I assume this little being was a girl? If your name is Lizzie, then aren’t you female? My first encounter with Lizzies was in the 1990’s when I was quite frightened of these creatures that were prevalent in Florida and south TX, until I realized they are not to be feared. From that day forward, all these lizards were “Lizzies.”

When I discovered tiny Lizzie several weeks ago, I was most concerned about her being away from her mother. My disquiet became more escalated when I learned anole mothers give birth and then leave their young to survive on their own. Anole mothers are not unlike some of the others in the animal kingdom. Even though God’s plan, it is disturbing to know these helpless creations must fend for themselves.

For most human females, being a mother is innate. When we become a mother, we remain mothers until the day we die. The elation of seeing and holding your baby is unlike any emotion we will ever experience. Whether biological or adoptive, our children are gifts which remain forever. No matter the circumstances of where our children are or what they do, they are our children and we love and support them for the duration of their lives and ours.

As we watch our children grow and mature into parents themselves, we still have memories of the time they were helpless and needed us to survive. Sometimes it is difficult for parents and especially mothers to “let them go” to become the individual God intended them to be. However, we know that is not only the cycle of life, but God’s divine plan for us.

What a pleasure it is to know that whether a human baby or one of the animal kingdom God bestowed us with a devotion to nurture a helpless being. On this Mother’s Day, it is with gratitude I thank God for allowing me to be a mother and grandmother. There is no greater blessing. Psalm 127:3 NKJ “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord…”