The Power of Mom

Every day I am shown and reminded of the awesome power of Mom! Dads are good and nice and all, and can provide oodles of tireless entertainment, but in matters of importance, Mom has to come into play. Not sure where the power comes from, I suppose it is organic. And I don't think it's fear or any particular respect. It is internal or something. Example:
This morning the Diplomat goes into Son's room to get his folding bike out of the closet. Son is sleeping as it is 6.30 am and, btw, so am I. Well, after the opening of the creaky closet door, Son naturally wakes up and proceeds to refuse to fall back asleep. He demonstrates his refusal by loud screaming. Soon I am awake too. Lovely! The Diplomat tries to calm him down, apparently even puts him on the potty (Son is screaming "potty" anyways). Changes his diaper, puts him back in his crib. Yeah, VERY smart, why not wake him up even more, ya? Son continues to scream. Diplomat comes into the bedroom and sheepishly tells me Son won't sleep. I caustically remark that I am painfuly aware of that and suggest warm milk. It becomes clear this situation needs the POWER OF MOM! So, I get up, go in his room, hug, caress the hair and put back in crib. MIRACLE!!!!! Son settles in and stays that way, QUIET, for another hour of so. I get to sleep a few extra minutes (I have perfected the art of going from fully asleep state, to being fully awake, then immediately back to fully asleep--I highly recommend that to every single sane mother out there!).
So, there it is, the Power of Mom. Like, when Son takes the Diplomat for a ride and has him wrapped around his adorable pinkie and manages: to 1) squeeze out of him extra TV time with Sesame Street,2) make him run after him at the playground (I prefer to sit and read a book while he climbs around and then I glare back at the mommies who think I am a bad mom), 3) make the Diplomat sleep on the couch in his room in the middle of the night because he refuses to stop crying unless he is in the room (or so the Diplomat thinks), and so on and on. This does not happen to Mom very often. Thankfully.
We mommies have a different power, a different aura and I have to say, it feels awesome! Not the least because I get to say to the Diplomat--"ugh, let ME show you how it's done"! But it is also mostly because that power shows us every day what a special relationship we have with our kids as mothers. I suppose that makes it worthwhile leaving my fancy corporate lawyer job. I also suppose that is precisely why my future daughter in law will hate me, no matter how fabulous I am and how excellent my martini-making skills are.