Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

On my way back from dropping my son at school last week, I saw a hot air balloon drift to an open strip of grass to land. It was such a surprise, and a stunning one at that. Seeing that massive, colorful orb gently float down was almost poetic.

The foliage in my area is spectacular now. I was envious of the passengers in that basket. It must have been magical to float above the trees in all their splendor and vivid colors.

Then I thought of the support team that made that magical moment happen.

A crew had to arrive before sun-up to unpack the balloon, fire it up, and fill it up. After all that hard work, they didn’t get the glory of riding in the basket. Instead, they had to wait on the ground, on standby.

Although you can plan where a hot air balloon will land, the wind and the circumstances of the day can change that plan, mid-flight. The support team had to hang out in their truck, ears tuned to the two-way radio, waiting to hear where the actual landing would take place. Then, off they went to drive there. Once the balloon actually touched down, they had to shuttle the passengers back to their cars, and fold and put away that massive balloon and basket.

If the correlation hasn’t hit you yet, it’s an exact metaphor for motherhood. We moms are the support team that sets everything up for our kids to fly.

Once they’re on their way, thriving in their hobbies, education, or profession, they bask in the glory, and we wait below. We know it’s only a matter of time before things don’t go according to plan, and the call comes in.

Off we go to the crash site where we care for these people who will always be our children in need, no matter their age. After we comfort them and get them back to where they need to be to continue their journey, we’re left to clean up the mess and put it all away.

If you had told me years before I had kids that one day I’d choose the support team over floating above the trees, I’d have called you crazy. Back then, I was all about the thrill, and craved being at the center of the action.

It takes having children to realize there’s a beauty in being the support team. It has a glory all its own. Despite standing firmly on the ground, surrounded by the mess and chaos, we get to watch our hearts soar through the sky in the form of our kids. It may seem less glamorous to an outsider, but it takes a parent to know there’s no place we’d rather be.

Despite standing firmly on the ground, surrounded by the mess and chaos, we parents get to watch our hearts soar through the sky in the form of our kids.

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Questions for Reflection:

• Do I recognize and honor all I do to help my kids soar?
• Do my kids recognize and appreciate my efforts as their support team?
• If not, is there any value in making them aware?