This is an entry to the Tell Me a Story: Treasured Mamas contest initiated by @solarsupermama . It is a fantastic way to honor the hard work involved in motherhood. Which is often undervalued.

You can read Solar Mama's article here:
https://steemit.com/ecotrain/@solarsupermama/tell-me-a-story-treasured-mamas

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We often see many mothers being honored for going far beyond the call of parenting to help the lives of so many. These ladies are exceptional beings who most definitely deserve the recognition they have been given.

However I would also like to honor those mamas who give it their all and go largely unnoticed. Those who do the things that are considered 'normal' in the world of parenting, their job. But who do it with every ounce of love and pure intention.

This is the story of Sarah(not her real name), a woman who I hold in very high regard.

Sarah is a mom of 5 children who are all now grown up. The youngest turned 18 back in February. Her eldest is a boy age 25. Sarah was born with a hole in her heart that was not immediately picked up by the doctors. During her childhood, she would encounter many trips to the hospital for analysis and spent much of her childhood on antibiotics, being restricted from many activities that most other children would take for granted.
She was advised not to have children as it would cause major complications. However when she fell pregnant with her eldest she was elated. She went on to have a healthy pregnancy and easy birth. Things were slightly different with her second pregnancy. This time she was having twins and the doctors had her in hospital on bed rest from around 20 weeks in to her pregnancy. Her son was looked after by his grandmother who brought him up to see her every day.
The twins were born by Cesarean Section at 36 weeks, which ended up being an emergency one because she went into labor.
Before the twins were 1 year old, she had open heart surgery to correct the hole and redirect one of her major blood vessels that doctors discovered was actually pumping her blood the wrong way. She made a full recovery and regular checkups have shown that her heart is super strong.
When the twins were just over 2 years old, her fourth child was born. It was around this time that she was in transition with her relationship with her partner, Mark. He was a lovely man when sober, but liked alcohol and drugs. He developed schizophrenia as a result which she feels was triggered by the addictions. When under the influence he was abusive to her. He would hurt her both physically and emotionally. Yet no matter how much he did this, she protected her children. He didn't live with them and she stuck to her guns that he was only allowed to spend time with the children when he was sober. Not only to protect the children but to protect her children's view of their dad.

Mark disappeared for a few years and during that time Sarah met another man whom she had her fifth child with. Unfortunately the relationship didn't last long and he left, without even considering his daughter. Mark came back into her life along with his problems. Yet he loved all those children dearly even the youngest who still now refers to him as 'dad'. Mark still battled with his demons and eventually after a complete relapse, ended up in hospital and sadly died on Christmas Day when Sarah's youngest was 6 years old. In order to keep Christmas a happy one for her children, Sarah, as much as she was hurting, didn't say a word until a few weeks later.

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She wanted the children to remember Mark for the good qualities he had, for the good dad that he was and to keep happy memories. Even though inside she was hurting and emotionally bruised from the things he had put her through. She was also so relieved when he passed. Relieved because she was free from the troubles. Yet also she felt no pain for him as she felt that he too would hopefully find peace from his tormented soul.

Since then, she has raised her children on her own. She hasn't had any relationships and vowed not to until her children were grown up. She now has two grandchildren and two more on the way this year.
Every night when, even now, before going to bed she makes sure to say goodnight to her kids and her grandchildren in a way that can melt even the most frozen of hearts.

This is a poem she says to each child and now grandchild before bed:

"The sun will shine, the moon will glow,
My love for you will always grow.
Love you today, love you tomorrow and love you always. "

Her eldest is a successful entrepreneur who is expecting his first child this year, one of the twins is at University studying a fashion degree. The other twin is a stay at home mom, her fourth has also developed schizophrenia like her father and is living at home with Sarah. She is getting the help she needs and has the full support of her mom. The youngest has just finished college (high school) and wants to go on to do beauty therapy at University.

Sometimes the strength of a mother's love is all that is needed. This woman has been through hell and back but still managed to keep it together for the sake of her children. She struggled through poverty, abuse, being a single parent and more. Her children were always put first no matter how she felt or what she was going through.

This is for all the mothers out there like Sarah who stay strong in the face of adversity.

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