Thoughts about Motherhood
I remember being pregnant with my first child and standing in line at the grocery store when the lady in front of me asked if this was my first baby. I replied with an enthusiastic yes and she went on to tell me everything negative about being a mom… You will never sleep again, your body is no longer yours and it takes forever to get the weight off. She told me about temper tantrums and potty training and then went on a long rant about teenagers. At this point, I was so annoyed and overwhelmed by her words, I just wanted to leave my cart full of groceries and sprint out the front door. At that stage it would have been more of a waddle but I was eager to get away.
I was thankful when it was my turn to check out and was given a reprieve from the barrage of nightmare mommy stories. I remember feeling sorry for this lady at the time and honestly in some strange way I owe her a thank you. I promised myself that day on the ride home that I would enjoy every step of the way in my parenting and that even when it was hard I would acknowledge it for what it was, a hard moment.
I must confess all those things that lady shared with me that day are mostly true. However, she only told a portion of the story. She left out the part of the story about how you can’t even imagine the love you can feel for someone until the second you lay your eyes on that beautiful baby placed in your arms. The tiny hand that reaches out to grab your finger for reassurance. The giggles and games. The bedtime stories and snuggles. Cheering them on at their games and concerts and the late night talks with teenagers are the best. Yes, being a mom can be hard, but being a mom has brought more joy to my life than I ever could have thought possible- It’s all in the perspective.
Enjoy this Mother’s Day with those who call you mama !
